Ferrari confirmed recently that Riccardo Adami has moved into a new role and that it has not yet named a permanent replacement for Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer. Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, will split duties and work with both drivers during the Barcelona pre-season shakedown while staffing is finalised. Reports say there is “no chance” of signing Peter Bonnington, Hamilton’s long-time race engineer at Mercedes, as a replacement.

Former driver and commentator Martin Brundle said he was surprised the change had not been made earlier and warned the timing is risky given upcoming pre-season running. Brundle emphasized that Hamilton benefits from engineers who understand his “Lewis speak” to interpret feedback and extract performance, citing several terse radio exchanges between Hamilton and Adami during 2025 as evidence that communication and rapport needed addressing.

Ferrari framed the engineering change as part of preparations for the new 2026 technical regulations and to improve in-race communication. The team has scheduled the SF-26 launch and planned two three-day tests in Bahrain in February as it prepares for the regulation change. The Barcelona shakedown, the lack of a named permanent race engineer and the temporary split of Bozzi’s duties will be watched closely for signs of Hamilton’s readiness with the new car.

The 2026 season begins at Albert Park, will include a new Madrid event in September and concludes in Abu Dhabi.

Sources