Red Bull are now trying to cause trouble within McLaren before Gianpiero Lambiase joins

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Red Bull are absolutely adamant that Gianpiero Lambiase will become McLaren’s team principal, according to Sky Sports’ Simon Lazenby.

It emerged during the break that Max Verstappen’s longtime race engineer would join the world champions. Laurent Mekies says Lambiase will honour his contract, which runs until the end of 2028, before completing the move.

However, there is debate as to the nature of his role. McLaren say he will be joining as chief racing officer, effectively becoming the number two to Andrea Stella, but Red Bull believe he will replace the Italian.

Red Bull insist Laurent Mekies comments on Gianpiero Lambiase weren’t ‘lost in translation’

Speaking to Sky Sports at the Miami GP, Mekies said: “GP had an extraordinary opportunity. You know, he is going to be a team principal there.”

When these comments were put to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, he said: “He knows something I don’t, apparently! I’ve got [a team principal], and I’ve got a great one. I’ve got the best one in the pit lane in Andrea Stella.”

Given the confusion, Sky reached out to Red Bull’s communications department for clarification, and they doubled down.

“We thought it might have been lost in translation,” Lazenby explained. “We sought clarification from Red Bull.

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“They said: ‘No, no, Laurent Mekies believes he’s going across as team principal.’

“It’s he said, he said at the moment. We probably have to believe the team he’s going to.”

When the Lambiase news first broke, there were rumours that Stella could return to Ferrari, though these have been firmly denied by McLaren.

Red Bull are playing games with McLaren

One wonders if Red Bull are trying to cause unrest within McLaren having lost one of their most valued members of staff. The Woking outfit had already taken aerodynamicist Rob Marshall and strategist Will Courtenay from them.

As Lazenby implies, Red Bull could simply leave it to McLaren to set out the nature of Lambiase’s role, regardless of whether they have received different information. Even becoming their number two behind Stella would be a major promotion, enough to justify the move.

• READ MORE: Ted Kravitz says Red Bull should sign former Charles Leclerc ally to replace Gianpiero Lambiase

Instead, Red Bull are playing mind games by fuelling the rumours that Stella’s tenure is coming to an end. It’s a smart tactic, reminiscent of the Christian Horner era, that could unsettle one of their biggest rivals.

There is no other incentive for the team to repeatedly contradict McLaren. It isn’t necessary to save face.

Eventually, it may emerge that Mekies was telling the truth, but Red Bull would have kept these details private unless publicising them was advantageous.