Ferrari moves Adami, leaves Hamilton without race engineer

Ferrari moved Riccardo Adami into a role with the Ferrari Driver Academy earlier this month, leaving Lewis Hamilton without a named race engineer as winter testing began. That timing has raised concern that the gap could hinder Hamilton’s integration and pre-season preparation.

Former driver-turned-pundit Karun Chandhok said he was “confused and concerned,” warning that the absence of a winter-built relationship between Hamilton and a dedicated engineer was “ringing alarm bells.” Chandhok and other commentators emphasized that a stable driver–engineer bond is crucial for rapid, reliable feedback and in-race decision-making, noting Hamilton’s strong past partnership with Peter Bonnington.

The provisional arrangement was apparent at the Barcelona shakedown, where Charles Leclerc’s race engineer Bryan Bozzi doubled up and ran Hamilton’s SF-26 while the team organized the change. Hamilton took over the car in the afternoon, completed 57 laps and recorded an unofficial wet-condition best of 1:32.872; the doubling-up highlighted that the current setup is temporary.

Commentators and former drivers said Ferrari missed an opportunity over the winter to build rapport through simulator days or private runs and suggested Hamilton may need extra simulator or additional track time to catch up if a new pairing is finalized late. Speculation has focused on Cédric Grosjean as Hamilton’s likely replacement, with multiple reports saying Ferrari intends to sign him but may have to wait until his post-McLaren gardening leave ends. Reports differ on his exact McLaren role: some describe him as a lead trackside performance figure, while others link him more directly to Oscar Piastri or to a race-engineer capacity. Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater and other outlets noted there is no official confirmation from Ferrari, and commentators warned that appointing a late or inexperienced engineer could hamper Hamilton’s adaptation under the sport’s new technical rules. Ferrari declined further comment, saying it would provide an update when there was a development.