Apr.24 (GMM) Zak Brown has firmly rejected speculation that Andrea Stella could leave McLaren for Ferrari amid the impending arrival of Gianpiero Lambiase.
Rumours have suggested Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, could ultimately replace Stella as team boss, triggering talk of a Ferrari return for Stella.
But Brown was unequivocal.
“Can I confirm that this is nonsense? Yes, I can confirm that this is absolutely nonsense,” he said.
“There are a few teams that stir up these kinds of rumours, but that will not work for us.”
He insisted Stella remains central to McLaren’s future.
“Andrea is very committed to McLaren and we are very committed to Andrea. We can’t be happier with this situation,” Brown said.
“You will see him in McLaren’s kit for a while.”
Brown also dismissed any suggestion of tension between Stella and incoming Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
“One hundred percent,” he said when asked if they will work together. “Andrea is ultimately even the person who hired GP.”
While Lambiase is officially due to arrive by 2028, Brown admitted the timeline could change. “There’s always a chance,” he said. “But he has a contract and we will respect that.”
Meanwhile, former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde believes the move could pave the way for Max Verstappen to follow Lambiase to Woking.
“Max moving to McLaren could very well be an option,” he wrote in Formule 1 Magazine.
“McLaren has the advantage of having more Red Bull veterans around with whom he has experienced success. It seems like a deliberate strategy on McLaren’s part to poach the best people.”
However, Brown played down any such scenario, pointing to McLaren’s current lineup of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
“We have long-term agreements with them, and I think it’s the greatest driver pairing on and off the track. So we have no intention of replacing any of our two superstars.”
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