According to several reports, there is tension between Lewis Hamilton and his engineer Riccardo Adami. Robert Doornbos has raised serious doubts about the working relationship between Lewis Hamilton and his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, pointing out a lack of “chemistry” that could have practical consequences. The criticism came after the radio exchanges between the driver and engineer during the Mexican Grand Prix, which Doornbos described as ineffective and not well aligned.
Lack of chemistry between Lewis Hamilton and Riccardo Adami
The former driver noted that although communication between Hamilton and Adami has improved compared to the start of the season, there is still a clear lack of chemistry. The case mentioned by Doornbos refers to the moment when Adami informed Hamilton of a 10-second penalty: the communication was dry and, according to the former driver, showed that “they are not in sync.” Doornbos reported the content of the exchange:
“Adami said, ‘We have a 10-second penalty for the incident at Turn 4 with Verstappen. We don’t agree, but let’s keep our heads down,’ while Hamilton replied that ‘it was difficult to stay on track. It doesn’t seem like they’re really getting along with each other.’”
Similar criticism has also come from television commentators. Karun Chandhok, speaking live, described the delivery of the message as “poor communication,” arguing that it only served to unsettle the driver without properly explaining the reasons behind the decision:
“You made the driver anxious without giving him all the facts!”
This season has brought many changes for Hamilton
For Lewis Hamilton, this is his first season with a new race engineer after his long partnership with Peter “Bono” Bonnington at Mercedes. Riccardo Adami is not a new face in the paddock, having already worked with drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz. Despite this, the connection with Hamilton has struggled to develop, although Doornbos admitted that the situation has improved compared to the early months of the season.
