Ferrari, will Hamilton get a new race engineer at the Miami GP? Not necessarily
The 2026 season for Ferrari began with the news that Riccardo Adami would no longer serve as Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer. This move had been anticipated for some time, and in an official statement, the Scuderia framed it as a role change for the seven-time world champion’s former engineer: after years on track, Adami will now work within Ferrari’s Driver Academy and on TPC testing activities. Although the timing of his departure was somewhat unexpected, it didn’t come as a shock, given that it was known that Lewis Hamilton and Riccardo Adami shared a professional but not particularly close relationship. This lack of chemistry reportedly led to some dissatisfaction from the British driver, prompting the team to make the decision to replace Adami to better accommodate Lewis Hamilton. As previously reported by this source, and contrary to some outlets mistakenly cited as references, Ferrari had already secured the services of Cedric Michel-Grosjean, formerly a performance engineer at McLaren for Oscar Piastri, to eventually join Hamilton’s side.
No surprises
Cedric Michel-Grosjean, however, only donned the red overalls during the Australian GP, after completing the agreed “gardening” period with McLaren, leaving Hamilton without his new engineer for a time. To bridge this gap, Ferrari called in Carlo Santi, who had been working in Maranello’s remote garage but possessed extensive track experience, having worked with Kimi Räikkönen in 2018. Santi acted as a temporary guide alongside Hamilton during the first races of the season, until Michel-Grosjean’s arrival. And, intentionally, he was meant to be temporary: as reported last January, Santi had agreed to assist Hamilton for a limited period, with three races being the widely circulated figure, though there was the possibility of extension to manage the handover smoothly. Santi’s temporary role also allowed him to assist Michel-Grosjean in gradually stepping into his new responsibilities. The French engineer closely observed Santi’s work in Australia, China, and Japan, learning Ferrari’s operational methods and familiarizing himself with the team members he will collaborate with.
Handover… but no rush
Once the first three races concluded, any moment could have been the right one for the “handover” from Santi to Cedric Michel-Grosjean, set to debut as Hamilton’s race engineer. However, this switch does not necessarily need to happen at the Miami GP, as several rumors suggest.
On the contrary, perhaps thanks to the strong rapport that developed between Santi and Hamilton (and possibly due to an explicit request from the British driver) and Michel-Grosjean’s limited experience within Ferrari, the current setup could remain unchanged. According to sources within Ferrari, Michel-Grosjean is still integrating into the team, while Santi continues to serve as Hamilton’s race engineer. In short, Maranello sees no reason to rush the transition, which will take place when all parties involved deem it most appropriate for both the driver and the team.
This careful management of Lewis Hamilton’s technical support reflects Ferrari’s commitment to stability during a high-stakes championship battle. By prioritizing the existing chemistry between Hamilton and Carlo Santi while allowing Cedric Michel-Grosjean to fully acclimatize to the Maranello culture, the Scuderia is ensuring that their star driver has the best possible tools at his disposal. Whether the switch happens in Miami or later in the European season, the focus remains on a seamless transition that maintains the team’s upward competitive momentum.
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