Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton, mystery McLaren engineer linked to post- Riccardo Adami role. Lewis Hamilton pushed for a split from Riccardo Adami at Ferrari.

The 2026 technical revolution in Formula 1 is here and now. And after Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Haas, Audi and Mercedes, today it is the turn of the most eagerly awaited giant in the paddock: Ferrari. The 2026 season is one in which the Prancing Horse has a great deal at stake, coming off a disastrous year in terms of results and, perhaps above all, morale. The images from the SF-25 presentation, with the madness of the Fiorano crowd cutting down trees just to get a better view of the circuit and greet Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut in the best possible way, remain part of history, but already feel like memories from a very distant era. To the point that the seven-time world champion is still among the most anticipated figures, but now mainly to redeem a dreadful 2025 season (not entirely through his own fault) and get his career back on track to avoid a low-key finale.

Hamilton, the race engineer issue remains unresolved at Ferrari

In the meantime, Sir Lewis Hamilton has taken on the role of undisputed protagonist during Ferrari’s winter, at least on an organisational and political level, while waiting and hoping for encouraging feedback from the track. According to Corriere della Sera journalists Daniele Sparisci and Giorgio Terruzzi, there has in fact been strong insistence from the seven-time world champion with team principal Frederic Vasseur to secure the removal of his race engineer Riccardo Adami, who has recently been reassigned to other duties.

Adami has been moved to head the Ferrari Driver Academy, which in recent years has increasingly become a prelude to leaving Maranello for those involved, as well as to oversee the TPC testing programme. In 2026, that programme will inevitably be less important than in the recent past, given the major regulatory overhaul that will make running cars from previous seasons far less useful.

Hamilton’s insistence on changing race engineer on the Ferrari pit wall, according to the authoritative Corriere della Sera reporters, has not been particularly well understood in the corridors of Maranello and has been judged by many as “a whim” of the driver, who in the past has criticised “procedures, methods and team composition”. And this may not even be the last request. Sparisci and Terruzzi also report that, for the moment, the role of Sir Lewis’ race engineer remains vacant, with Carlo Santi – former race engineer to Kimi Raikkonen, another driver with whom on-track communication was not always straightforward – working alongside Bryan Bozzi to speak with Hamilton during pre-season testing sessions.

Is a McLaren engineer on the way?

This represents a compromise solution while waiting for the arrival of a figure who should come to Ferrari from McLaren specifically to take on the role of Hamilton’s race engineer. Such a move would contradict the most natural and logical option that had been discussed in recent days, namely the promotion of Luca Diella, Hamilton’s performance engineer. Diella had already worked with Lewis at Mercedes before following him to the Prancing Horse last July, once his gardening leave period had ended.

This is not, however, the only arrival from other teams. Another Frenchman has also joined the court of Fred Vasseur: Guillaume Dezoteux, who until recently was head of performance at Racing Bulls. Will this recruitment drive be enough to relaunch Ferrari, revive Lewis Hamilton’s ambitions and prevent yet another major shake-up?