Mekies insists Lambiase will be team principal, sparking McLaren row
A public disagreement broke out between Red Bull and McLaren over how to interpret Gianpiero Lambiase's future role at his new team. Lambiase — Max Verstappen's race engineer since 2016 and Red Bull's head of racing since his promotion in late 2024 — is contracted to Red Bull until 2028 and is expected to join McLaren no later than the 2028 season. McLaren announced in April 2026 that he will arrive as Chief Racing Officer reporting to team boss Andrea Stella. Laurent Mekies — described variously as Red Bull's sporting director and as team principal — pushed a different reading, saying Lambiase is "going to McLaren to become a team principal." Mekies first made the claim at the Miami Grand Prix and reiterated it at the FIA team principals' press conference in Montreal, saying he stood by his reading that prior conversations with Lambiase pointed toward a team-principal role while declining to discuss specific timing.
McLaren leadership pushed back. CEO Zak Brown dismissed Mekies' remarks and had sought to downplay the Miami comment, restating that Lambiase is due to join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer to relieve Stella's workload and that his arrival will be completed by 2028 at the latest. Stella welcomed the hire as part of building "additive leadership," acknowledged he is "personally stretched" in his role — telling one press conference he was "personally very stretched" — and labeled succession speculation "silly season." No formal appointment of Lambiase as McLaren team principal has been announced, but the back-and-forth has fueled speculation about possible personnel changes and succession at McLaren.
