Jonas Leo
Former Formula 1 driver and prominent Sky Sports F1 analyst Karun Chandhok has articulated significant reservations regarding the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer situation at Ferrari as preparations for the 2026 F1 season commence. The seven-time World Champion, who transitioned to the Maranello-based squad ahead of the 2025 season, is reportedly operating with an interim race engineer during private testing sessions, a development that has prompted Chandhok to voice concerns over the critical driver-engineer dynamic.
The genesis of this situation traces back to an announcement by Ferrari earlier in January, confirming that Riccardo Adami, who served as Hamilton’s race engineer during his inaugural 2025 season with the team, would be reassigned to a different role within the Scuderia. This decision followed a 2025 campaign where, despite securing a sprint race victory in China, Hamilton failed to register a podium finish in a Grand Prix, a performance that reportedly coincided with discernible tension and moments of frustration between the British driver and Adami, frequently broadcast during live race coverage.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, confirmed controversially early in 2024, was widely heralded as one of the most significant transfers in Formula 1 history. His departure from Mercedes-AMG Petronas, where he secured six of his seven world titles under the consistent guidance of Peter Bonnington, marked the end of an era. The expectation for a driver of Hamilton’s calibre is not merely to adapt to a new car but to seamlessly integrate into a new team culture, a process heavily reliant on the symbiotic relationship with the race engineer. The current lack of clarity surrounding his long-term engineering partner for the pivotal 2026 regulatory overhaul has therefore become a point of contention.
"The other thing that’s ringing alarm bells for me is his engineer situation," Chandhok stated during a broadcast on Sky Sports F1. His apprehension stems from the understanding that Bryan Bozzi, who currently engineers Charles Leclerc’s car, was observed running Hamilton’s car during recent testing activities. "That confuses me, if I’m perfectly honest. That relationship between driver and race engineer is so, so important," Chandhok emphasised, highlighting the fundamental nature of this partnership in elite motorsport.
Related News :
- Early Odds Position George Russell as Key Challenger to Max Verstappen for 2026 F1 Crown
- Why F1 teams are rushing to finalise their 2026 cars “much earlier” than usual
- Vettel Emphasizes Italian Language Acquisition as Linchpin for Hamilton’s Ferrari Integration
- Racing Bulls Ignite F1 Fan Debate with 2026 Livery Reveal, Iconic White Wheel Covers Elicit Overwhelming Praise
- The Vegas Paradox: F1’s Glitzy Grand Prix Navigates Operational Hurdles Amidst Commercial Success
The role of a race engineer in Formula 1 extends far beyond merely relaying lap times and strategy calls. It encompasses a deep understanding of the driver’s preferences, real-time car behaviour analysis, and the nuanced interpretation of feedback under extreme pressure. Successful pairings, such as Hamilton and Bonnington, or Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn, are often characterised by an almost telepathic understanding, where unspoken cues and anticipatory actions become as vital as explicit communication.
"Getting the feedback from the driver, in my experience, a good engineer-driver relationship are the unspoken things. When one is complaining about something, the other is able to finish their sentence and say ‘we’re going to do this’," Chandhok elaborated. This level of intuitive understanding, he argued, requires extensive time and shared experience to cultivate, something that the current interim arrangement appears to preclude.
The context of the 2026 season further amplifies these concerns. The sport is set to undergo a significant regulatory overhaul, particularly concerning power unit architecture and aerodynamic principles. This period of change typically demands an even closer collaboration between drivers and engineers to define the car’s development direction and extract maximum performance from new machinery. Early integration and a stable working relationship are paramount during such transitions.
Chandhok expressed dismay that this crucial bonding process has not yet begun for Hamilton. "They haven’t created a situation where Lewis is building that relationship over the winter," he observed. He suggested that proactive measures, such as extensive simulator days or testing with a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) model, should have been initiated to allow Hamilton and his prospective engineer to forge a strong working relationship ahead of the official 2026 pre-season testing. TPC sessions, using older specification cars, provide valuable track time for drivers and engineers to acclimatise without the intense pressure of competitive sessions or strict new car testing regulations.
Furthermore, Chandhok stressed the importance of integrating the new engineer into the broader team structure, beyond just the direct interaction with the driver. "You need to integrate that person into the engineering set-up of the race team. They have to work in an environment along with the other engineers when the driver is not around," he explained. The public often only witnesses the radio communication between driver and engineer, which, as Chandhok pointed out, is merely "a microcosm of the bigger conversations happening in that engineering office." The seamless flow of information and collaborative problem-solving within the wider engineering group is foundational to a team’s success.
Ferrari’s history, while illustrious, has also been marked by periods of internal restructuring and changes in key personnel. The Scuderia last won a Constructors’ Championship in 2008 and a Drivers’ Championship in 2007. Their consistent pursuit of a return to championship glory places immense pressure on every aspect of their operation, particularly with a driver of Hamilton’s stature joining their ranks. The decision to move Riccardo Adami, who previously engineered Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari, and the subsequent delay in naming a definitive replacement for Hamilton, raises questions about the team’s strategic planning and personnel management for such a high-profile driver.
Adami’s tenure with Hamilton during the 2025 season, marked by the aforementioned frustrations, underscored the challenge of establishing immediate rapport. Hamilton’s decade-long partnership with Bonnington at Mercedes was a benchmark for driver-engineer synergy, characterised by an unparalleled understanding of Hamilton’s driving style and preferences, and Bonnington’s calm, reassuring presence on the radio. The absence of such a stable and trusted voice could profoundly impact Hamilton’s ability to extract peak performance from his Ferrari.
"To me, I’m slightly confused that as we sit here, we’ve already started testing, that bonding and relationship-building hasn’t started, off the back of a season which was not good," Chandhok concluded. His remarks encapsulate a broader concern within the Formula 1 community regarding Ferrari’s approach to integrating their star driver into a stable and high-performing technical environment. With the 2026 season promising a significant reset for the sport, the establishment of a robust and trusting relationship between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer will be a critical determinant of Ferrari’s championship aspirations. The ongoing delay in solidifying this crucial partnership continues to cast a shadow over their preparations, prompting scrutiny from seasoned observers like Karun Chandhok.
💬 Tinggalkan Komentar dengan Facebook
Author Profile
- Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.
Latest entries
F1January 28, 2026Ferrari’s Delay in Appointing Lewis Hamilton’s Permanent Race Engineer for 2026 Draws Scrutiny from Karun Chandhok
F1January 28, 2026Ferrari’s 2026 Challenger Debuts in Challenging Barcelona Rain, Hamilton Notes Significant Regulation Shift
F1January 27, 2026F1 announces new partnership with Standard Chartered as support expands to F1 Academy- F1January 27, 2026Gabriel Bortoleto Details Unwavering Professionalism for 2026 F1 Season with Audi, Expressing Preference for Continuous Development Over Winter Break
arthur roy sitompul
Anshari Taslim
Ali Akbar Rosady
rifan muazin