- Stella hails Lambiase arrival as vital for McLaren’s long-term technical expertise.
- New structure aims to end unsustainable dual roles within McLaren’s hierarchy.
- Red Bull faces organizational reshuffle as key staff members depart for rivals.
Andrea Stella is confident that Gianpiero Lambiase’s arrival at McLaren in 2028 will add “expertise and potential” to the already growing talented team. This will highlight the team’s strong ability to secure top talent, making it more attractive in the long run, both in achieving strong results and commercially.
Moreover, he is aware that playing a dual role within the team is not very sustainable; therefore, with GP’s arrival, he also looks forward to equally distributing power within senior leadership and eliminating dual roles. This will eventually provide the team with the necessary support they require at all times.
Stella talks about the recruitment of GP
In a recent conversation, Stella mentioned that adding GP to the already talented roster has its benefits, as it highlights the team’s continued efforts to onboard the best talent in the industry.
He said, “This credibility we have gained is the result of the hard work done by all men and women who have worked at McLaren over recent years to build a culture that allows people to grow and contribute to the common goal, in a healthy and enjoyable environment.”
He believes that the team’s ethics and strong track record could have likely contributed to GP’s decision to accept the offer.
How Lambiase’s arrival could change the internal structure of McLaren
Stella strongly believes that Lambiase’s arrival is the cherry on top of an already well-balanced and competitive team. He revealed that GP would be a great support to him as a chief racing engineer, a role that he manages currently, alongside his team principal duties. Disclosing the team’s aim, he added, “Together with Zak, we have always worked over the past three years to ensure the continuity over the long term in terms of leadership and expertise.”
He explained that the role of a team principal has grown “complex” over time. However, he and Zak Brown have always ensured that all their leaders are equally empowered at all levels, and there is no imbalance through their flat leadership structure. However, he stressed the importance of having long-term support for the team, which he believes wouldn’t be possible with this leadership pattern. Therefore, he intends to eliminate the dual roles for long-term sustainability.
Who’s replacing GP at Red Bull Racing?
For now, Red Bull Racing haven’t signed anyone as a replacement for GP, as he would be with the team until 2028. However, a former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst, Karun Chandhok, suggested that the team should really be looking forward to doing some big signings, potentially from Mercedes. This is because the German team has been dominating the grid.
Red Bull is currently going through organisational shakeups, with potential switches from the sister team and the assignment of new roles to those within the team. Recently, Ben Waterhouse was appointed as chief performance and design engineer. There have been a cross-department hires as well, with Racing Bulls’ deputy technical director Andrea Landi stepping into the team as head of performance. Dan Fallows will switch to Landi’s role.
