Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari era was always going to be box-office. Few, however, expected the first major plot twist of 2026 to arrive before the season had even roared into life.
In Bahrain on Wednesday, the seven-time world champion opened up about the quiet but seismic call to part ways with Scuderia race engineer Riccardo Adami – a decision that peeled back the curtain on the human tension behind the partnership.
The split, officially framed by Ferrari as a “new role” for Adami within the Driver Academy and historic car programme, carried all the hallmarks of a diplomatic reshuffle.
Hamilton’s words, though measured, revealed the emotional weight behind the move and the turbulence of a debut year in red that never quite found its rhythm on the radio.
A Partnership That Never Clicked
Hamilton’s first season in red was less fairy tale, more firefight. The Briton’s efforts were repeatedly undercut by awkward exchanges and mismatched communication styles between driver and engineer – the lifeline of any modern F1 operation.
Inside the cockpit, clarity is currency; without it, even legends stumble.
Reflecting on the separation, Hamilton did not disguise the personal difficulty of drawing a line under the collaboration.
“It was obviously a very difficult decision to make,” Hamilton told reporters in Bahrain. “I'm really grateful for all the effort he put in last year, and his patience, and, you know, it was a difficult year for us all.”
Gratitude and realism arrived in the same breath. The tone was respectful, but the message unmistakable: Ferrari and Hamilton needed a reset button, not a patch-up job.
The Revolving Door in Red
Yet the reset has hardly delivered instant stability. If anything, Hamilton now finds himself navigating an even trickier landscape – one where continuity is in short supply and the voices in his ear may keep changing just as the championship fight begins to simmer.
During the Barcelona shakedown, Bryan Bozzi temporarily stepped into the engineering role, despite continuing his primary duties alongside Charles Leclerc.
From Bahrain onward, Carlos Santi – previously Kimi Räikkönen’s trusted voice on the pit wall – has been drafted in as a provisional solution. Provisional being the operative word.
Hamilton laid bare the uncertainty, and the competitive disadvantage he feels it brings.
“It’s actually quite a difficult period, because it’s not long-term. The solution that I currently have, it’s only gonna be a few races,” Hamilton added.
“So early on into the season, it’s gonna be switching up again, and I’ll have to learn someone to work with someone new. So that’s detrimental to me too.
“A season where you want to arrive with people that have done multiple seasons, that are that have been through thick and thin, and calm.
“But it is the situation that I’m faced with, and I’ll try and do the best I can. We are, I think the team is trying to do the best they can to help seamless as possible.”
Read also:
Behind the polished delivery sits a stark reality: Formula 1 rewards familiarity as much as raw speed. Drivers and engineers operate like long-married couples – anticipating each other’s thoughts at 300 km/h. Hamilton, instead, is speed-dating.
The season ahead promises intrigue, pressure and perhaps more changes behind the scenes. One thing, though, is certain: even seven world titles offer no immunity from the politics, personalities and painful decisions that define life at the sharp end of the grid.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
