Ferrari Reassigns Riccardo Adami from Hamilton's Race Engineer Role

Lewis Hamilton is set to start the 2026 season with a new race engineer after Ferrari announced that Riccardo Adami is moving to a different role within the organization. This significant personnel change comes just one week before the team's new car launch and days ahead of the first pre-season test in Barcelona.

Why it matters:

The dynamic between a driver and their race engineer is critical for extracting performance, especially during a regulation overhaul. Following a debut season at Maranello that fell short of expectations, Ferrari's decision to reassign Adami suggests a strategic move to reset the environment around Hamilton and optimize communication for the upcoming title challenge.

The details:

• New Position: Adami has been appointed as the "Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and test previous cars manager." Ferrari stated that his extensive trackside experience will be utilized to develop future talent and strengthen the team's performance culture.
• Context: The move follows scrutiny of radio messages between Hamilton and Adami during the previous season, despite Hamilton publicly insisting their relationship was strong.
• Succession Plan: Ferrari has not yet named a replacement for Adami. However, given the tight timeline, a decision on who will take the helm of Hamilton's garage is expected before track action begins in Barcelona.

What's next:

The immediate priority for Ferrari is finalizing the engineering lineup to ensure Hamilton is fully supported as the 2026 car hits the track. With the new regulations leveling the playing field, establishing instant chemistry with a new race engineer will be vital for Ferrari to capitalize on their potential and challenge Red Bull's dominance.