- Stella dismisses “mythical” Ferrari pre-contracts as McLaren prepares for 2028 growth.
- Zak Brown slams “total nonsense” aimed at destabilising championship-winning team.
- Lambiase to join as Chief Racing Officer to support Stella’s long-term vision.
Team principal, Andrea Stella have set the record straight on the ongoing speculation about him potentially moving from McLaren to Ferrari in the future. These rumours intensified when Gianpiero Lambiase was confirmed to be joining McLaren in 2028, leaving his role as head of racing and Max Verstappen’s engineer at Red Bull Racing.
Stella mentioned that he’s aware of the rumours surrounding salaries and pre-contracts and it has only brought a smile on his face. Debunking the claims, he stated that it seems the “silly season,” which usually begins before summer, has come early. Apart from Stella, the CEO of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, also addressed the Stella-Ferrari rumours, calling it “total nonsense.”
Stella dismissed Ferrari rumours
In a conversation with the McLaren Racing website, Stella put to rest the rumours surrounding him replacing Fred Vasseur at Ferrari, reaffirming his commitment towards his current team. He said, “Honestly, some of the recent rumours, including those regarding astronomical salaries and mythical pre-contracts, have made me smile. It almost seems as though the ‘silly season’, which usually begins before summer, has arrived early!”
He added that he’s used to such rumours and now he takes them with a smile. Giving off an interesting metaphor on rumours, he said that a jealous chef has attempted to spoil a good dessert at the McLaren bakery. However, they know how to distinguish between good ingredients and poisoned biscuits.
Brown’s verdict on Stella-Ferrari rumours and details on GP’s role at McLaren
In a conversation with Sky Sports, Brown addressed Stella’s departure to Ferrari in future rumours, regarding it as false. He said, “You know, a team or two stirring it to you know a great part of our sport is everyone likes to maybe destabilise teams, but that doesn’t work here.”
Brown reassured that Stella is very committed to the team, and vice versa. He further stated that they all couldn’t be happier. Moreover, he also confirmed that GP and Stella will work together, noting that the latter was the one who hired the former.
GP will serve as the chief racing engineer at McLaren Racing and will report directly to Stella. With GP’s recruitment, what Stella is trying to do is eliminate the dual roles for long-term sustainability, while also empowering leadership at all levels and providing the team with the necessary lasting support. Stella currently manages race engineer responsibilities alongside his role as team principal at McLaren. However, GP’s arrival will prove to be a great support for him.
