Laurent Mekies claims 'GP' Lambiase will be team principal at McLaren
Photo: Race Pictures
Updated: 21:30, 01 May
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Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Laurent Mekies has said Gianpiero 'GP' Lambiase will become team principal at McLaren after his move to the Woking team, which takes place no later than 2028. Max Verstappen's race engineer of ten years was announced to become the team's Chief Racing Officer in April, taking over some responsibilities of current team principal Andrea Stella.
Lambiase's exit was the latest in a recent spate of high-profile figures to leave Red Bull across the last 18 months. In December, motorsport advisor Helmut Marko departed the team, following on from former team principal and CEO Christian Horner.
Speaking to Sky F1, Mekies was asked on Lambiase's upcoming departure, and while the Frenchman said the team is treating the recent exits "very seriously", he was confident the team is still going in the right direction.
Mekies said: "We don't want to be defensive about it. We have lost quite a few key people in the last four or five years, it is very true.
“We take it very seriously, and everything we do is to try to make sure that we have the best environment to attract, to develop and to retain our people. I'm confident it's an area where we will succeed. Is it going to be a linear way to it, with nobody leaving anymore? No.”
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Lambiase to become McLaren team principal, says Mekies
Laurent Mekies - Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Mekies' attention turned more closely to Verstappen's race engineer 'GP', who he claimed will eventually take the team principal role at McLaren as part of what he called a "big opportunity."
He continued: "'GP' had an extraordinary opportunity. He's going to be a team principal there. [I can't] do anything else [other] than wishing him well.
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“This team is creating talents. We are very proud to, as often as we can, rely on internal promotions. If we have a need to go and look for a specific set of skills or experience in the pit lane, we will do it, and we are happy to do it.
“He has two long years with us. We all say to each other that we want these two full year to be very successful, and that's what we are focusing on.”
Zak Brown also previously addressed these rumours. The McLaren CEO said: "GP will come in and play a great role there [as Chief Racing Officer]. My job is always to be looking for down the road as to who can play and grow within the sport. So certainly, given GP's experience and his age, he's someone I think that can be here for a long time at McLaren and grow."
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