The Lambiase move
Those who imagined Gianpiero Lambiase at McLaren instead of Andrea Stella had to change their minds. The market rumors that emerged in the hours immediately following the announcement of the signing of Max Verstappen’s current race engineer by the Constructors’ World Champion team were immediately silenced. As Stella himself recently confirmed, Lambiase will work with him and certainly not in his place, thus forming a tandem in command of the papaya pit wall operations.
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In an interview released on McLaren’s official website, Stella explained in detail the reasons that led him and CEO Zak Brown to plan and then implement Lambiase’s signing, thus outlining two years in advance what the British team’s operational structure will be from the 2028 season: “Gianpiero’s arrival is the icing on a cake that already has all the right ingredients – commented Stella – for me, he will be fundamental support, taking on the role of Chief Racing Officer, a position I currently hold alongside my role as Team Principal. Together with Zak, over the last three years, we have always worked to ensure long-term continuity in terms of leadership and expertise. This is especially true for some key roles, such as positions in the race team. It is especially in this area that the expansion of the calendar has had significant consequences in terms of personal commitment and quality of life”.
Demonstration of strength
“Today’s Formula 1 is very different from when I started my career – Stella continued – the size of a top team has now more than doubled. Suffice it to say that our staff has grown by over 20% in numerical terms in the last three years. The role of Team Principal has therefore also become more complex. Zak and I have built a horizontal team structure, where it is essential to ensure that all leaders have the right autonomy, but at the same time, we must ensure the necessary long-term support. It goes without saying that, with this approach, the dual role I currently hold would not be sustainable in the long term”.
But also in terms of image, the fact that McLaren managed to snatch such an important person, so closely linked to Max Verstappen, from Red Bull represents a significant demonstration of strength on the part of the Woking team: “Lambiase’s arrival is further confirmation of how attractive McLaren has become to the best talents in Formula 1 – Stella confirmed – this credibility we have gained is the result of the hard work done by all the men and women who have worked at McLaren in recent years to build a culture that allows people to grow and contribute to the common goal, in a healthy and pleasant environment. In addition to McLaren’s on-track results and the team’s perceived ethics from the outside, I am convinced that this contributed to Gianpiero’s decision to join us”.
