Zak Brown Says McLaren Will Wait for 2028 to Land Lambiase
zak brown said McLaren took the opening to recruit Gianpiero Lambiase from Red Bull and strengthen its racing team, even if the move has to wait until 2028. He called Lambiase a huge talent and tied the hire to McLaren’s long-term push for more strength on the pit wall and at the factory.
Brown and Lambiase in Miami
Speaking during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Brown laid out why McLaren moved when it did. “My job as CEO is to get the best talent, to think long term, to have the most strength on the pit wall or at the factory in design, wherever the case may be,” he said.
He added that McLaren acted once the chance appeared. “Andrea [Stella] has done a fantastic job, [as have] our technical team, and GP’s a huge talent so when the opportunity presented itself to strengthen our racing team, that’s exactly what we’re going to do, whether it’s a racing driver or an engineer or strategist, whatever the case may be. So I’m very happy he’s going to be joining us.”
Red Bull’s 2028 contract
Lambiase is Red Bull’s Head of Racing and also works as Max Verstappen’s race engineer. His contract runs through 2028, and Brown said McLaren would be prepared to wait that long if necessary.
“2028 is when his contract’s through. We’ll wait if that’s what’s necessary – if there’s something to be done earlier then of course we’d be interested, but I think right now we’re all stuck into 2026,” Brown said. He also said, “We’ll see how it plays out – we’ve got time, we know we’re all settled for 2026, so we’ll chat about it when the time’s right.”
Norris, Piastri and McLaren
Brown framed the Lambiase move without touching McLaren’s driver room. “I couldn’t be happier with our driver line-up,” he said, adding that “Lando [Norris] and Oscar [Piastri] are not only two awesome guys, on the track, off the track, but as team mates,” and pointing to the chemistry across the garage, factory and pit wall.
That leaves McLaren trying to add an established Red Bull figure without disturbing the roster it already trusts. The hire of Lambiase gives the team a clear target, but his Red Bull deal means the timing will stay attached to a contract that runs to 2028 unless the teams reach a deal sooner.
