Respected Dutch outlet De Telegraaf has reported that Gianpiero Lambiase will be joining the McLaren F1 squad in 2028 to become Team Principal. It will mark the end of a long and successful partnership with Red Bull Racing.
The signing of Lambiase continues McLaren’s run of taking big Red Bull F1 team members
According to De Telegraaf, McLaren offered the British engineer a significant pay rise to what he was getting at Red Bull Racing. Since the middle of 2025, there has been a lot of speculation about the future of ‘GP’. Aston Martin and Williams were both tipped as potential destinations at various points. However, that has not come to pass.
This is not the first big coup McLaren have pulled off in recent years. Following the signing of Rob Marshall, who became the Chief Designer and helped the team win their first Constructors’ Championship in 2024 for 26 years, Will Courtenay also moved across and is the Sporting Director for the Woking-based team.
There is also the big news that Andrea Stella will be stepping away from his role as Team Principal and looks to be heading back to his native country. The Italian has done a remarkable job in his tenure to date at McLaren. He has led the team to two Constructors’ Championships, and a Drivers’ Championship with Lando Norris last year. The 55-year-old is universally popular and well-liked within the team.
The end of a very successful era
After joining Red Bull Racing in 2015 following a 10-year spell at Jordan, Midland, Spyker and Force India, Gianpiero Lambiase quickly became a massive name in the sport once he was partnered with Max Verstappen.
In their 10 years together, the pair have won 71 races and four Drivers’ Championships to date. Strong radio messages and trust have led to them getting the best out of each other. They have become one of the most iconic duos in the sport’s history.
The future of the Dutchman in Formula 1 remains up in the air.
