Lewis Hamilton to Begin 2026 Ferrari Campaign with New Race Engineer at Pre-Season Testing
Lewis Hamilton will head into the opening phase of the 2026 Formula 1 season working with a new race engineer, following confirmation that his collaboration with Riccardo Adami has officially come to an end. Italian media have now shed light on who will take over the role on an interim basis during Ferrari’s crucial pre-season testing programme in Barcelona.
Ferrari confirmed last week that Hamilton and Adami would not continue their working relationship into the new season, bringing a close to what proved to be a difficult partnership during Hamilton’s debut year with the Scuderia. Their time together in 2025 was marked by several tense and awkward radio exchanges, leading to persistent speculation that the pairing struggled to establish effective communication under pressure.
Hamilton made the high-profile move to Ferrari from Mercedes ahead of the 2025 campaign after more than a decade with the Brackley-based team. Expectations were enormous, but the transition did not unfold as smoothly as hoped. While flashes of competitiveness were evident, recurring communication issues between Hamilton and the pit wall became a recurring theme. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur later acknowledged that the team would review Hamilton’s trackside setup as the season drew to a close.
Rather than exiting Ferrari entirely, Adami has been reassigned within the organisation. The Italian engineer will now serve as manager of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, while also taking responsibility for the team’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme. Ferrari have yet to officially announce who will permanently replace Adami as Hamilton’s race engineer for the 2026 season.
In the meantime, a temporary arrangement has reportedly been put in place for pre-season testing. According to Corriere della Sera, Charles Leclerc’s long-time race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, will oversee both Ferrari drivers during the five-day private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, scheduled to begin on January 26.
The decision is believed to be largely logistical. Ferrari are expected to run just one SF-26 chassis during the Barcelona test, meaning Hamilton and Leclerc will share the same car across the programme. As a result, a single race engineer will be required to coordinate operations, data analysis, and feedback for both drivers throughout the test.
Bozzi’s involvement is understood to be limited to the Barcelona running and does not indicate a long-term change to Leclerc’s established engineering setup. However, the arrangement gives Ferrari valuable breathing space as they continue evaluating the most effective long-term race engineering solution for Hamilton ahead of the new season.
While Ferrari have not publicly detailed the reasons behind Adami’s removal from the role, tensions between driver and engineer were evident throughout 2025. At the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton expressed confusion over radio messages from the pit wall, highlighting a lack of detailed feedback during key moments of the race.
Further strain surfaced at the Miami Grand Prix when Hamilton, frustrated by delays in team orders, sarcastically suggested the team “have a cup of tea” as he waited to be allowed past teammate Leclerc. The comment quickly became one of the most talked-about radio messages of the season.
Another uncomfortable moment came in Monaco, where Hamilton asked over the radio whether Adami was “annoyed” with him, seemingly receiving no reply. Ferrari later attempted to downplay the incident, explaining that Adami had already stepped away from the pit wall at the time.
Even the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi was not free of tension, with Hamilton appearing to be ignored during a reflective post-race exchange. Adami later apologised, stating he had been engaged in discussions with other team members.
Collectively, these moments reinforced the perception that the partnership never fully gelled. As Ferrari prepare for the major technical overhaul of 2026, attention will now turn to how Hamilton adapts with revised trackside support — beginning with his first on-track appearance of the new era in Barcelona.
