McLaren boss responds to swap rumours and has barb about rivals in the process

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has firmly rejected speculation that he could return to Ferrari as Fred Vasseur's replacement.

It was announced last week that Red Bull head of racing Gianpiero Lambiase would join McLaren as their Chief Racing Officer 'no later' than 2028, and it immediately led to rumours that Stella would return to Ferrari, where he began his career as a performance engineer and spent 15 years before his move to McLaren.

It was reported that Stella had already signed a pre-contract with the Scuderia, having been offered a huge financial package, but the 55-year-old has laughed off the rumours, saying F1 'silly season' has arrived early.

"Honestly, some of the recent rumours, including those regarding astronomical salaries and mythical pre-contracts, have made me smile," Stella said.

"It almost seems as though the ‘silly season’, which usually begins before summer, has arrived early!

"I’m quite used to this sort of thing by now and I take with a smile."

Stella accuses rivals

In dismissing the rumours, Stella once again used his 'poisoned biscuits' analogy to suggest rival teams are jealous and trying to upset the harmony within the Woking-based team.

McLaren won both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in 2025, Lando Norris finally ending Red Bull and Max Verstappen's dominance, whereas Ferrari finished way back in fourth, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth and sixth respectively.

“It almost looks like that some envious pastry chef has tried to spoil the preparation of a good dessert at the McLaren patisserie," Stella said.

“However, we do know very well how to distinguish the good ingredients from the poisoned biscuits…”

READ NEXT: F1 chief makes key intervention in Max Verstappen row as he urges regulations change

Lambiase will inherit some responsibilities from Stella when he arrives from Red Bull, but McLaren pointed to his 'long-term contract' in their statement announcing the news, explaining how the two will work together.

“The role of the chief racing officer already exists within the team’s structure with overall leadership of the race team," the statement read.

“These duties are currently managed by Andrea Stella in addition to his role as team principal.

“Lambiase is the latest hire designed to strengthen and support the talent pool that exists at McLaren Mastercard, while also reaffirming the team’s long-term commitment to confirming its position as a championship-winning team.

“The team’s ability to attract and secure top talent, alongside the retention and promotion of highly-talented people already within the team, is a testament to the strategic vision and culture that are integrally embodied in the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team under the leadership of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, who are also both on long-term contracts.”

Vasseur, meanwhile, faced criticism throughout 2025 as Ferrari suffered their first winless season since 2021, but the Frenchman is also on a long-term contract, with a new deal announced in the build up to last year's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli leads the 2026 standings after the first three races, with F1 on an unexpected break due to the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian cancellations, and set to return in Miami on May 3.