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 group’s acquisition by Crimson 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 assert 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. Nonetheless, Mercedes managed to retain the precious asset in anticipation of Kimi Antonelli’s arrival.
Now, Lewis Hamilton is working intently with Riccardo Adami throughout Ferrari’s low season testing programme. Throughout 4 testing classes 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 type is considerably totally different from Bonnington’s. This transformation is essential, because it straight influences automotive setup selections and race methods. Any miscommunication might derail a race weekend, making the adjustment course of much more necessary.
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 group. 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 snug inside Ferrari’s system.
The seven-time System 1 world champion talked about feeling very aligned with everybody at Ferrari, however famous that the expertise within the automotive was utterly totally different. He defined that the messages he acquired have been a lot totally different from what he had skilled earlier than, and that all the things displayed on the dashboard was unfamiliar. The British driver added that the setup of the entrance and rear was additionally totally different, though the purpose remained comparable. The terminology used, nevertheless, was one other problem he highlighted. He expressed that there was way more to debate, however emphasised that with dedication, they have been placing in all the required work to adapt.
Ferrari followers have humorously poked enjoyable at Lewis Hamilton after a specific second through the 2025 automotive take a look at. Former System 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 major milestone in Hamilton’s profession.
Nonetheless, the British driver has been clear in stating that it could take a while for him to completely unlock the potential of his aspect of the storage. He identified that it wasn’t till simply earlier than the summer season break in 2013 that he managed to assert his first victory with Mercedes, highlighting the significance of persistence when adjusting to a brand new group and automotive.
It’s additionally important to notice that Lewis Hamilton has signed a multi-year contract, that means that 2025 isn’t a make-or-break season for him. Nonetheless, Ferrari followers are optimistic in regards to the group’s prospects this yr, significantly given their robust current kind. Furthermore, the upcoming 2026 regulation modifications add a component of uncertainty to the long run, making this season essential for Ferrari as they purpose to maximise their efficiency.
At 40 years previous, Lewis Hamilton is predicted to have collected substantial observe 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 take a look at. Nonetheless, 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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