Has Lewis Hamilton requested the replacement of his race engineer, Riccardo Adami? Recent rumors have sparked speculation, but at the moment, the British driver cannot demand anything.
Lewis Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari has been a disaster on many levels. The Maranello team failed to deliver the car promised for a world championship fight, putting both of its drivers in difficult situations. This complicated the adaptation of the seven-time world champion, raising questions about whether he asked for Riccardo Adami to be replaced.
Lewis Hamilton has faced plenty of criticism after a challenging first season with the Scuderia. Expectations for a happy partnership were high, but reality has been far from ideal. The British driver has been pushed to his mental limits by a grueling season. The responsibility clearly lies mostly with Ferrari, which provided #44 with a difficult-to-drive car, complicating his adaptation. Lewis Hamilton came from entirely different systems during his long tenure at Mercedes, making this transition particularly ‘traumatic’.
Hamilton and what’s missing
“A driver, before demanding changes, must prove that they are faster than their teammate, and until that happens—and it hasn’t here—you have less say. Leclerc is very composed, very gentlemanly, but in terms of influence, he has little left to give. The first four or five races next year will be crucial, as an incredible chessboard will unfold. If the next Ferrari is catastrophic, Leclerc should go.”
This was the response from Matteo Bobbi regarding Lewis Hamilton’s alleged request to replace Riccardo Adami, during the latest episode of Race Anatomy. As previously mentioned, the adaptation process was far from simple for Lewis Hamilton, who experienced highs and lows with his race engineer throughout the season. Of course, it’s impossible to know whether the seven-time world champion actually made such a request.
“If you are slower than your teammate, you’re out. There’s nothing you can do. The engineers who work with him and try to carry forward his ideas have little influence, little weight. The problem is essentially this: he is slower than Leclerc.”
These were the words of engineer Luigi Mazzola less than a week ago regarding the topic. Both Matteo Bobbi and the engineer share the same opinion. Therefore, 2026 will be crucial in this regard as well—provided Ferrari delivers a winning car to its two leading drivers. Otherwise, the discussion will amount to nothing once again.
For now, the message from the Italian paddock is crystal clear: beat your teammate first, then you can start choosing your race engineer.
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