McLaren happy to add the 'icing on the cake' with the signing of GP Lambiase

This April, it was announced that Red Bull Racing's Head of Racing and Max Verstappen's race engineer Lambiase will join McLaren no later than 2028. Rumours suggested that this move could pave the way for Stella’s exit to Ferrari, but he dismissed those claims.

According to the Italian, the recent addition of 'GP' is a statement. "GianPiero’s arrival will add a great amount of expertise and potential to the team for the long term. At the same time, it is further confirmation of how attractive McLaren has become to the best talents in Formula 1," he said in an interview to McLaren's website.

He continued: "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.

"GianPiero’s arrival is the classic icing on a cake that already has all the right ingredients in the first place," Stella continued.

Lambiase will serve as the team's Chief Racing Officer, a role Stella is still responsible for. Due to how the competition has evolved over the past years, Stella believes this is the right moment to hand over his responsibility.

He added: "The size of a top team has more than doubled; just consider that our workforce has grown by over 20% in numerical terms over the last three years. Today, we have reached a size that is compatible with the constraints imposed by the budget cap and functional to the objective to deliver the level of performance required to succeed."

Stella also argued about how the team principal role has become more complex over the years.

"Zak and I have built a flat team structure, in which it is essential to ensure all leaders are properly empowered, but at the same time, we must guarantee there is always the necessary level of long-term support. It goes without saying that, with this approach, the dual role I currently hold could not be sustainable in the long run," the Italian concluded.