Scuderia Ferrari has officially announced a significant personnel change affecting seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, confirming that his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, will take on a new role within the team for the 2026 campaign.
End of the Pit Wall Partnership
The 52-year-old Adami served as Hamilton's primary race engineer throughout the British driver's challenging first season with Ferrari in 2025. The partnership was marked by several difficult moments, often broadcast via tense team radio exchanges, as the legendary driver adapted to his new environment after his historic move from Mercedes.
In an official statement, Ferrari outlined Adami's new position: "Riccardo Adami has moved to a new role within the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy as Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and Test Previous Cars Manager, where his extensive trackside experience and F1 expertise contributes to the development of future talent and to strengthening performance culture across the programme."
The team expressed gratitude for his work trackside, adding that the appointment of a new race engineer for Hamilton's car, number 44, would be communicated "in due course."
A Season of Struggle and Speculation
The move follows widespread speculation about Adami's future after a notably tough year for Hamilton. The 41-year-old driver finished the 2025 season in sixth place in the championship, amassing only 152 points. He later described it as potentially his most difficult season in the sport.
One of the most telling moments came during the season's final race. After Hamilton thanked his team over the radio, saying, "Long season, guys... Thank you for your kindness, I'm grateful for all the hard work. I'll always fight for you guys, always," he was met with silence.
He then quipped, "Did you get that message? The one time you don't reply," in an apparent jab at the communication style he had experienced. Adami eventually responded, "Yea we got it. Sorry we were talking. Thank you very much, it was awesome working with you. Grazie Mille." This exchange proved to be their final one as a driver-engineer pairing.
Looking Ahead to 2026 and Beyond
Hamilton, who defiantly dismissed critics questioning his future in December, is expected to partner with Charles Leclerc again in 2026. The season will introduce sweeping new technical regulations, offering Ferrari a chance to reset.
The 2026 rules mandate smaller, lighter cars with a major shift towards hybrid power, aiming for a 50/50 split between electric power and the internal combustion engine. The familiar Drag Reduction System (DRS) will be replaced by an active aerodynamics system. These changes could completely reshuffle the competitive order, which was dominated by McLaren in the previous season.
For now, all eyes will be on Ferrari's management to see who they appoint to the crucial role of Hamilton's new race engineer, a key relationship that the team will hope leads to improved fortunes in the transformative season ahead.
