Andrea Stella has already signed pre-contract to join Ferrari as McLaren move for Gianpiero Lambiase

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McLaren now look set to sign Red Bull head of racing Gianpiero Lambiase as their new team principal from 2028, as Andrea Stella has already agreed a contract for Ferrari.

Stella took over as the team principal of McLaren in December 2022 following Andreas Seidl leaving for Audi’s F1 project. The Italian has since helped to turn McLaren’s fortunes around alongside CEO Zak Brown, culminating in the team winning both championships last season.

McLaren won their first constructors’ title since 1998 during the 2024 season, and they then also matched Red Bull’s record for winning the title with the most rounds remaining in 2025. Lando Norris also won the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship for McLaren’s first title since 2008.

But Stella is now believed to be heading to Ferrari in the near future, so McLaren have made a raid on Red Bull for Lambiase, who also acts as the race engineer for Max Verstappen. It is said that Lambiase has agreed to join McLaren in 2028, once he finishes his gardening leave.

It sounds like Andrea Stella could leave McLaren! How big a blow would this be?

Erik van Haren of De Telegraaf broke the story

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McLaren moved for Gianpiero Lambiase as Andrea Stella has already agreed to join Ferrari

Lambiase is expected to remain at Red Bull through until the end of the 2027 F1 season and then move to McLaren, who have pursued the British-Italian engineer as they believe Stella is re-joining Ferrari. Stella joined McLaren in 2015 after working for the Scuderia since 2000.

READ MORE: All to know about Max Verstappen’s F1 race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase

Not only do McLaren believe that Stella is leaving, but F1 reporter Jacky Martens also claims that the 55-year-old has already signed a pre-contract with Ferrari. Martens claims McLaren offered Lambiase their team principal position because Stella’s move to Ferrari is “very hot”.

Martens said on the Paddock Access podcast: “One Italian is coming to McLaren, [and] one Italian is leaving. If [Lambiase is] becoming [the] TP, then someone has to go. According to my information, [Stella] has already signed a pre-contract with Ferrari, which is very hot.”

GP is joining McLaren! What does this mean for Verstappen and Red Bull?

The news comes from Erik van Haren of De Telegraaf

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Stella enjoyed a lot of success during his time at Ferrari from 2000 to 2014, which saw him work as a performance engineer for Michael Schumacher and later Kimi Raikkonen. Stella’s years in Maranello featured all five of Schumacher’s titles for Ferrari, plus Raikkonen’s one.

Ferrari have not won the F1 drivers’ championship since Raikkonen took the 2007 crown at that year’s season-finale in Brazil. The Scuderia have also not won a constructors’ title since 2008, so are believed to have targeted Stella’s return after seeing his success with Mclaren.

Stella signing his pre-contract with Ferrari naturally raises questions about what awaits Fred Vasssuer in Maranello. Team principal Vasseur survived his job at Ferrari becoming at risk in 2025 and signed a new contract for the 2026 season, but still entered 2026 under pressure.

Reports surfaced in December that claimed Ferrari gave Vasseur the first five races of 2026 to save his job, of which he has so far overseen three. The Scuderia have also had a largely successful start to the season, with podium finishes in each of the first three Grands Prix.