Lewis Hamilton is collaborating with Sebastian Vettel’s former Ferrari engineer this season. Fred Vasseur selected to retain Riccardo Adami in his position following the departure of Carlos Sainz. In response, Hamilton reached out to Vettel to inquire about Riccardo Adami, who started his F1 profession with Minardi, the predecessor to Toro Rosso. After the staff’s acquisition by Pink Bull, Adami labored with rising stars like Daniel Ricciardo earlier than becoming a member of Ferrari in 2015, simply as Vettel made his transfer to the Scuderia. Adami supported Vettel for six years, earlier than transitioning to the identical position with Sainz.
Over the previous decade, the Italian engineer has performed a pivotal position in serving to his drivers safe 18 race victories—14 for Sebastian Vettel and three for Carlos Sainz. Regardless of this spectacular file, Riccardo Adami has but to say a championship title.
At Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton loved an unparalleled driver-engineer partnership with Peter Bonnington, the voice in his ear all through all six of his World Championships and 84 profession wins. When Hamilton introduced his transfer to Ferrari in February, many followers speculated whether or not Peter Bonnington would be part of him in Italy. Nevertheless, Mercedes managed to retain the precious asset in anticipation of Kimi Antonelli’s arrival.
Now, Lewis Hamilton is working carefully with Riccardo Adami throughout Ferrari’s low season testing programme. Throughout 4 testing periods in Italy and Spain, Lewis Hamilton has pushed Ferrari’s 2023, 2024, and 2025 automobiles. In an interview with ESPN’s SportsCenter, he shared insights into his adaptation course of, emphasizing that Adami’s communication model is considerably totally different from Bonnington’s. This transformation is crucial, because it instantly influences automotive setup choices and race methods. Any miscommunication may derail a race weekend, making the adjustment course of much more essential.
Moreover, the British driver has talked about the unfamiliar show on the Ferrari steering wheel, underscoring the challenges that include transitioning to a brand new staff. Reflecting on the method, he has developed a larger respect for each Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, recognizing the immense effort required to change into totally comfy inside Ferrari’s system.
The seven-time Method 1 world champion talked about feeling very aligned with everybody at Ferrari, however famous that the expertise within the automotive was fully totally different. He defined that the messages he obtained have been a lot totally different from what he had skilled earlier than, and that every part displayed on the dashboard was unfamiliar. The British driver added that the setup of the entrance and rear was additionally totally different, though the aim remained related. The terminology used, nevertheless, was one other problem he highlighted. He expressed that there was far more to debate, however emphasised that with willpower, they have been placing in all the required work to adapt.
Ferrari followers have humorously poked enjoyable at Lewis Hamilton after a specific second throughout the 2025 automotive check. Former Method 1 world champion Nigel Mansell expressed that it could be a “dream come true” if Hamilton have been to safe his first race victory in Australia. Such a triumph would mirror Fernando Alonso’s 2010 win on the Bahrain Grand Prix, marking a big milestone in Hamilton’s profession.
Nevertheless, the British driver has been clear in stating that it might take a while for him to completely unlock the potential of his facet of the storage. He identified that it wasn’t till simply earlier than the summer season break in 2013 that he managed to say his first victory with Mercedes, highlighting the significance of endurance when adjusting to a brand new staff and automotive.
It’s additionally important to notice that Lewis Hamilton has signed a multi-year contract, which means that 2025 isn’t a make-or-break season for him. Nonetheless, Ferrari followers are optimistic in regards to the staff’s prospects this 12 months, notably given their sturdy latest type. Furthermore, the upcoming 2026 regulation modifications add a component of uncertainty to the longer term, making this season essential for Ferrari as they goal to maximise their efficiency.
At 40 years previous, Lewis Hamilton is anticipated to have gathered substantial monitor time earlier than the season formally begins. He has already pushed the SF-25 throughout pre-season testing in preparation for the three-day Bahrain check. Nevertheless, Ferrari followers couldn’t resist teasing Hamilton after he appeared to take a “tea break” throughout his session, including a lighthearted contact to the proceedings.
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