Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari race engineer, Riccardo Adami, were never able to find common ground during the 2025 Formula 1 season. From the opening races, there were reports of friction behind the scenes, with radio exchanges and strategic disagreements regularly drawing attention.
A driver’s race engineer is hugely important and is often considered part of an “inner circle” within the team, because he is the primary point of contact during a race, handling strategy, performance feedback and decision-making in real time, and building a relationship based on constant communication and deep mutual trust.
Now, the situation has been clarified: Adami will not be Hamilton’s race engineer next season. Ferrari has officially reassigned the Italian to a different role within the organisation.
Ferrari bombshell over Hamilton confidant
The team has confirmed that Adami is stepping away from the pit wall and will instead take on broader responsibilities within the Scuderia. His new role will include serving as a manager within Ferrari’s junior driver academy. The team has not yet named Hamilton’s new race engineer for 2026, stating that an announcement will be made “in due course”.
This change brings an end to one of the most scrutinised driver–engineer partnerships of recent years, highlighting how challenging Hamilton’s first year in red was.
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Scuderia praises Adami
Despite removing Adami from his role as Hamilton’s ‘man in the ear’, Ferrari was keen to emphasise that this is not a demotion. In its official statement, the team praised Adami’s experience and contribution, framing the change as a strategic redeployment rather than the result of any disagreement.
“In this role, he will bring his extensive experience on the racetrack, as well as his Formula 1 expertise, to promote the development of future talent and further strengthen the performance culture within the programme,” Ferrari said in its communiqué.
This suggests that the Scuderia still values Adami highly and believes that his skill set may be better utilised away from the immediate pressures of race engineering.
Adami has long been regarded as a respected figure within Ferrari, having previously worked with Sebastian Vettel during the German’s time at Maranello. His transition to a mentoring and management role within the junior academy reflects Ferrari’s commitment to nurturing long-term talent, particularly as Formula 1 embarks on a new regulatory era.
A difficult first season in red
Hamilton’s debut year with Ferrari was widely expected to be one of the most compelling storylines in modern Formula 1. Instead, it turned into a bruising campaign for the seven-time world champion. The British driver finished sixth in the drivers’ championship, failed to achieve a single podium finish, and was comprehensively beaten by his teammate, Charles Leclerc, over the course of the season.
Throughout the year, Hamilton openly acknowledged that communication issues within the team had made life difficult. While he stopped short of directly blaming individuals, he repeatedly alluded to misunderstandings over strategy, timing and race execution.
These tensions often surfaced over the radio. One of the most notable flashpoints came during the Miami Grand Prix, where frustration boiled over mid-race. As Hamilton waited for Ferrari to allow him to pass Leclerc, he snapped at Adami, “Take a tea break while it’s your turn! Come on!”
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The sarcastic remark quickly made headlines
Hamilton was angry that the team were hesitating to swap positions, even though he was running on fresher, faster tyres. When he was eventually given the go-ahead, he failed to pull away and later had to give the position back to Leclerc. Moments later, after being informed of his gap to a Williams driver, Hamilton responded sharply: ‘Should I let him through too?’
This exchange was emblematic of the season, with British sarcasm meeting Italian pride and being played out live over the airwaves. In Italy, the tone of these radio messages was not well received, further fuelling speculation about internal discord.
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Looking ahead to 2026
With Adami now reassigned, Ferrari has an opportunity to improve part of Hamilton’s working environment ahead of 2026. The choice of a new race engineer will be critical, particularly as the team looks to achieve more consistent performance from both the car and the driver.
For Adami, the change offers a potentially influential but quieter role in shaping Ferrari’s future generation. For Hamilton, it brings a turbulent chapter of his Ferrari story to a close — one that both parties will hope was merely a difficult beginning rather than a failed partnership.
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