Breaking: Lewis Hamilton Breaks Silence on Ferrari Engineer Rif…read more

Lewis Hamilton Breaks Silence on Ferrari Engineer Rift Ahead of Spanish GP

Lewis Hamilton has set the record straight about his relationship with Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami, following growing speculation after a tense exchange at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Since making the high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season, Hamilton’s performance has been underwhelming. The seven-time world champion has only secured a sprint race win and a best Grand Prix finish of P4 so far. But it’s not just the car’s lack of pace that’s making headlines—Hamilton’s on-track communication with Adami has raised eyebrows and triggered a wave of online discussion.

Tensions first sparked at the Miami Grand Prix, where a frustrated Hamilton was heard on team radio telling Adami to “take a tea break” amid strategy confusion. The situation escalated in Monaco, where Hamilton asked, “Are you upset with me?”—a question met with silence from the Ferrari pit wall, further fueling concerns about a communication breakdown.

However, ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton has moved to squash the rumors.

> “Our relationship is great. No problems. We’re constantly learning more and more about each other,” Hamilton told the media during Thursday’s press conference.

“We’re adapting to each other’s styles. He’s worked with many different drivers, and we’re just working through the process. We don’t have any issues whatsoever.”



Despite Hamilton’s assurance, many fans and pundits remain unconvinced. Miscommunication between Hamilton and Adami has already led to performance issues—most notably in Miami during a failed attempt to swap positions with teammate Charles Leclerc, and in Monaco, where a miscue in qualifying led to a costly penalty due to incorrect timing information.

This has sparked debate: should Hamilton consider replacing Adami?

The driver-engineer relationship is one of the most critical partnerships in Formula 1. For years, Hamilton’s near-telepathic connection with former Mercedes engineer Peter Bonnington—affectionately known as “Bono”—was key to his dominance. Many wonder if Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari are in part due to the absence of that synergy.

Compare that to Max Verstappen’s famously sharp but effective rapport with Gianpiero Lambiase at Red Bull. Their blunt, high-pressure communication works—resulting in four world titles. In contrast, Hamilton’s current exchanges with Adami feel less like strategic shorthand and more like a relationship still searching for trust.

So, would a new engineer fix the problem? Or is this simply a matter of time and adjustment?

It’s also worth noting that switching engineers mid-season is not a light decision. Bringing in a new voice—possibly another Italian engineer—might lead to similar linguistic or cultural barriers. The question becomes: is it better to start fresh, or continue building with Adami?

For now, Hamilton seems committed to the latter.

Still, one can’t help but wonder if he regrets not bringing Bonnington with him to Ferrari. The bond they shared was not just professional—it was a key part of his historic success.

Should Hamilton persevere and allow more time for a deeper connection with Adami? Or is it time for Ferrari to re-evaluate the pairing?