Ferrari reshuffles as Hamilton is set to get a new race engineer for 2026

F1 Grand Prix, GP United States, Circuit of The Americas

Lewis Hamilton will work with a new race engineer for the 2026 Formula 1 season after Ferrari announced that Riccardo Adami has transitioned into a senior position within the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy. The change comes after Hamilton’s challenging first year with the team, during which communication between driver and engineer was frequently scrutinised.

Adami, who previously engineered Carlos Sainz, partnered with Hamilton throughout the Briton’s debut campaign in red after the seven‑time World Champion replaced the Spaniard for 2025. Their collaboration featured several tense radio exchanges, and Ferrari has now opted to restructure Hamilton’s engineering support ahead of the new season.

In a statement released on Friday, Ferrari confirmed Adami’s new responsibilities: “Scuderia Ferrari HP announces that 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 Formula 1 expertise contributes to the development of future talent and to strengthening performance culture across the program,” the team said.

Ferrari also expressed its appreciation for Adami’s work on the pit wall: “Scuderia Ferrari HP would like to thank Riccardo for his commitment and contribution to his trackside role and wishes him every success in his new position,” the statement continued.

The Italian team confirmed that Hamilton’s new race engineer will be revealed soon. “The appointment of the new Race Engineer for car #44 will be announced in due course,” Ferrari added.

Adami brings more than two decades of Formula 1 experience to his new academy role. He began his career with Minardi in the early 2000s and remained with the Faenza‑based outfit as it transitioned into Toro Rosso, working with future stars such as Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo.

He joined Ferrari in 2015, initially reuniting with Vettel as the German’s race engineer before later working alongside Sainz and, most recently, Hamilton.