Lewis Hamilton begins 2026 season with temporary Ferrari race engineer amid Adami reshuffle
Lewis Hamilton is starting the 2026 Formula 1 season with a temporary race engineer following a significant reshuffle in the Ferrari garage. Riccardo Adami, Hamilton’s long-term race engineer, was reassigned after the seven-time world champion failed to secure a podium finish during the 2025 campaign.
At the Bahrain pre-season testing, the Briton has been working with Carlo Santi, who previously served as Kimi Raikkonen’s race engineer. This interim partnership is expected to remain in place for the opening races of the season while Ferrari finalises a permanent replacement. Cedric Grosjean, formerly part of Oscar Piastri’s engineering team at McLaren, has been signed to take on the role full-time but remains on gardening leave, delaying a seamless transition.
Carlo Santi joined Ferrari as a performance engineer for Kimi Raikkonen in 2016 before stepping up to become his race engineer in 2018, the Finnish driver’s final year at the Scuderia. Since then, Santi has played a crucial role within Ferrari’s remote garage, supporting the trackside team from Maranello. His expertise in car performance and race strategy is well-regarded, but his reputation also includes a few fiery moments with drivers on the radio.
Kimi Raikkonen once expressed frustration with Carlo Santi during a Grand Prix
One of the most memorable incidents came during the 2018 Australian Grand Prix, Santi’s debut race as a race engineer. At that event, Kimi Raikkonen was running second behind Lewis Hamilton but was unaware that teammate Sebastian Vettel was extending his stint on track. Vettel successfully executed an overcut and ultimately won the race. Upon realising he had been kept in the dark, Raikkonen expressed his frustration over team radio, questioning why he had not been informed and highlighting the miscommunication.
Despite the radio exchange, Raikkonen went on to finish third in Melbourne, securing the first of 12 podiums during the 2018 season, which matched his career-best tally. Carlo Santi later played a key role in Raikkonen’s victory at the United States Grand Prix, his only win during his second stint at Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton reflects on split with Riccardo Adami
During the 2025 season, Lewis Hamilton experienced several challenges alongside Riccardo Adami, although he consistently praised the Italian engineer’s work ethic and dedication off the radio. Addressing the end of their partnership, Hamilton expressed gratitude for Adami’s patience and commitment throughout a difficult year, noting that the split was part of a wider restructuring at Ferrari. Adami has now taken a senior role within Ferrari’s Driver Academy, signalling that he remains a highly valued member of the Maranello team.
Hamilton’s long-term collaboration with Peter Bonnington at Mercedes spanned 12 seasons, providing continuity and stability. Now, with a temporary race engineer in place, Hamilton faces a fresh challenge under the complex 2026 technical regulations. The new setup demands even greater input from the engineer, particularly in terms of energy management, aerodynamics, and tire performance, meaning the Briton will need to quickly adapt to maintain competitiveness in the early stages of the season.
With Carlo Santi guiding the seven-time world champion at Bahrain and Cedric Grosjean set to take over permanently once his gardening leave ends, Ferrari are hoping to strike the right balance between experience, strategic insight, and technical innovation. How quickly Hamilton adapts to the new engineering team could be crucial in determining his success under the heavily revised 2026 Formula 1 rules.
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