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Andrea Stella has been linked with a move back to Ferrari following the announcement that Gianpiero Lambiase will move to McLaren in 2028. Ralf Schumacher has now outlined exactly what Fred Vasseur needs to do to remain at the helm in Maranello.
In the midst of F1’s unscheduled five-week break between the Japanese and Miami rounds of the 2026 calendar, a bombshell hit the paddock in the form of a future departure at Red Bull.
Following the mass exodus of key figures within the Austrian constructor in recent years, it was announced that Gianpiero Lambiase would be leaving Red Bull in favour of McLaren, with the move set to take place in 2028.
The agreement is understood to involve a promise, in which Lambiase would initially join the Woking-based outfit in a trackside management role, before assuming the role of team principal in the future.
You’re Ferrari, what do you do – Hire Andrea Stella or keep Fred Vasseur?
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Of course, the statement raised questions over the future of Andrea Stella, who has led McLaren back to the top of the F1 food chain in recent years.
The rumour mill was sent into overdrive following confirmation of the deal, with it being reported that Stella has already signed a pre-contract with Ferrari, the same team he began his F1 career with in 2000.
The 55-year-old enjoyed some of the best years of Ferrari’s storied history in F1, working alongside Michael Schumacher as his performance engineer before being promoted to the race engineer role for Kimi Raikkonen and his successor at the team, Fernando Alonso.
- READ MORE: Andrea Stella reveals what ‘contributed’ to Gianpiero Lambiase’s decision to join McLaren
Ralf Schumacher thinks success is the only way Fred Vasseur can silence Andrea Stella-Ferrari rumours
During a recent episode of the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher was asked for his thoughts on the legitimacy of the rumours surrounding Stella and a return to Maranello.
The former F1 star said, “I’d never rule anything out. Ultimately, everyone is judged on performance, and bringing Lambiase on board feels like a strategic move to take some pressure off Stella.
“When you’re at the front, in the thick of things, you’re constantly in the spotlight and keeping a close eye on everything. If you have overall responsibility but then also have to be involved in everything on the ground, then it is simply too much in modern Formula 1.”
It sounds like Andrea Stella could leave McLaren! How big a blow would this be?
Erik van Haren of De Telegraaf broke the story
After detailing his desire not to completely rule it out, Schumacher switched his attention to detailing what Fred Vasseur needs to do to ensure that Ferrari keep him in charge of the Scuderia’s efforts in F1.
It has been reported that Vasseur’s future at Maranello hinges on him bringing some end-of-year silverware home this season, a sentiment that Schumacher has echoed.
He added, “As for Ferrari, they aren’t going anywhere. Fred Vasseur seems to have things under control now, and we know from the Michael Schumacher and Jean Todt era that building a winning cycle takes time.
“If Vasseur continues to win races and compete for the World Championship, the pressure to make further changes effectively disappears anyway.”
- READ MORE: Andrea Stella says his McLaren role is ‘not sustainable’ as he responds to ‘pre-contracts’ rumours
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