Ferrari evaluating key Lewis Hamilton change ahead of F1 2026

Ferrari have refused to rule out the potential for Lewis Hamilton altering race engineer for the 2026 F1 season.

The connection between Riccardo Adami and Hamilton got here underneath the highlight a number of occasions all through the seven-time world champion’s troublesome first season at Ferrari.

There have been a number of tense and awkward exchanges between the pair, resulting in some to recommend that Hamilton and Adami had did not strike up a relationship over the 24-race season.

Hamilton endured a disappointing debut season with Ferrari, ending sixth within the drivers’ championship and almost 100 factors adrift of teammate Charles Leclerc as he skilled his first podium-less yr in F1.

Ferrari staff principal Fred Vasseur admitted the Scuderia are contemplating what may be modified to assist Hamilton heading into his second season with the Italian outfit.

“We have to enhance our collaboration. He must attempt to get extra out of the automotive he has. Each element counts,” Vasseur instructed Italian publication Corriere Della Sera.

“It’s additionally about understanding one another higher. We all know one another higher on the opposite facet of the storage [Leclerc] understanding what Lewis wants and what he needs. I additionally want to grasp what he needs.”

When requested particularly whether or not Adami would stay as Hamilton’s race engineer, Vasseur responded: “We’re evaluating all choices.”

Hamilton and Ferrari should enhance

Vasseur admitted that he underestimated the challenges Hamilton confronted in 2025 however insisted enchancment wants to return from either side subsequent season.

“I believe it was troublesome for Lewis, and it is too small a phrase in all probability, however it was troublesome as a result of after 20 years – I say 20 years as a result of for me McLaren was McLaren-Mercedes after which Mercedes – he spent 20 years with Mercedes, it was an enormous change,” Vasseur acknowledged.

“I personally underestimated the step. It is not that we’re doing worse or higher, it is that we’re simply doing in a different way.

“It is not simply concerning the meals or the climate, it is that each single software program is totally different, each single element is totally different, the individuals round him, they had been totally different, and in case you are not on the highest of every thing, you allow on the desk a few hundredths of seconds, and immediately with the sphere that now we have, I believe it was in Abu Dhabi in Q2 that you simply had one tenth protecting P5 and P15.

“We weren’t in full management of each single element and bundle, and we misplaced a little bit of the trail of the season like this.”

Vasseur added: “I believe it has to return from in all places. I believe that the mindset of the staff and the mindset of the motive force needs to be that allow’s attempt to do a greater job in all places.

“It is not that you’ve got one thing which goes effectively and the remaining goes mistaken. On the finish of the day, now we have to enhance. Now we have to enhance into the collaboration with Lewis. Now we have to enhance on the staff. He has to enhance maybe on how he will get the perfect from the automotive that he has.

“It is not that when you’re three tenths behind somebody, it is not that they’ve the magic bullet or they’ve the element within the automotive with three tenths quicker. Very often, it is that you’ve got 10 matters the place you might be three hundredths of a second slower. One after one, now we have to sort out every level.”