Andrea Stella believes that the ‘silly season’ has officially begun. Not only because of the arrival of Gianpiero Lambiase at McLaren from 2027, but also due to the rumors surrounding Oscar Piastri. According to various speculations, the Australian is on Red Bull’s radar. However, Stella is not worried. “Stability is important to us,” Stella says.
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Andrea Stella emphasizes that McLaren is currently in a strong position and that he sees absolutely no reason to doubt Oscar Piastri’s future. “I think we are already fully in ‘silly season’. When we think about Oscar, we couldn’t be happier. We see the best version of him, both in and out of the cockpit. There is a great dynamic with Lando Norris and I think the team is stronger than ever since I became team principal,” Stella says during the FIA press conference in Montreal.
‘Verstappen is central’
Laurent Mekies also does not expect Piastri to leave for Red Bull. According to the Frenchman, the team currently has a strong driver duo with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. “The choice of drivers is not a topic for us at the moment. We have Max and he no longer needs to prove himself to anyone. Besides that, Isack is doing very well. He has handled a difficult car excellently in his first races and is close to Max,” Mekies says during a media session in Canada.
According to Mekies, Red Bull also does not need to worry that Verstappen will leave with Gianpiero Lambiase to McLaren. “We sometimes joke about it, but I am absolutely not worried that Max will go with GP. He tells us that he is happy at Red Bull. He is involved in every strategic decision and is central to the project. Ultimately, we want the same thing: to return to a more competitive car,” Mekies says.
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‘Filling with trophies’
Stella emphasizes that McLaren mainly wants to build stability and success in the coming years. The Italian himself was recently linked to Ferrari, but according to him, his full focus is on McLaren. “One of the things I am most proud of is that we have managed to fill the display cabinet in the McLaren Technology Centre with trophies again. For me, the mission is very clear: that cabinet must become fuller in the coming years,” Stella states determinedly.
The arrival of Lambiase fits perfectly within that ambition according to Stella. McLaren wants to attract the best people from Formula 1. “The best expertise and the best leaders. The fact that GP chose McLaren says a lot about the credibility of our team. I really wanted to have him on board. In my role as team principal, I need strong people around me. The plan is very clear for us. All other speculations belong to ‘silly season’,” Stella concludes.
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