With the 2026 Formula One season just over five weeks away, Ferrari is making significant changes to support Lewis Hamilton’s performance as new regulations reshape the sport. After a challenging 2025 campaign marked by a difficult adaptation period for Hamilton at Ferrari, the team is now focusing on strengthening their race engineering to help the seven-time world champion regain his competitive edge.
Challenges in Hamilton’s First Year with Ferrari
Hamilton experienced a notably tough season in 2025, struggling to find the same level of rapport with Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami that he had developed with Peter Bonnington, his long-time engineer at Mercedes. This lack of synergy was seen as a key factor in his underwhelming results in his debut year for the Scuderia.
In response, Ferrari announced that Adami will be reassigned to a new role as Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and Test Previous Cars Manager, effectively removing him from the race engineering position for Hamilton’s 2026 campaign.
Interim Engineering Support and Candidate Search
While Ferrari searches for a permanent replacement, engineers Bryan Bozzi and Carlo Santi, known respectively for their work with Charles Leclerc and Kimi Raikkonen, will temporarily assist Hamilton. Meanwhile, speculation has intensified around the appointment of a new race engineer to lead Hamilton’s on-track communications and race strategy.
Italian media outlet AutoRacer.it reports that Ferrari is awaiting the completion of a gardening period before confirming their new hire. The likely candidate is Cedric Michel-Grosjean, who has served as Lead Trackside Performance Engineer at McLaren and contributed closely to Oscar Piastri’s car performance and driver development throughout 2025.
Cedric Michel-Grosjean’s Potential Impact at Ferrari
Although Michel-Grosjean has not yet officially held the title of F1 race engineer, his extensive experience with McLaren’s performance optimization puts him in a strong position to support Hamilton. His technical expertise and understanding of race dynamics could be crucial in helping Hamilton return to podium finishes as he looks to improve in his second year with Ferrari.
Significance of the Engineering Change for Hamilton and Ferrari
This move highlights Ferrari’s commitment to addressing internal challenges and enhancing their competitiveness under the new 2026 regulations. By targeting a skilled engineer from a rival team like McLaren, Ferrari appears determined to provide Hamilton with the support needed to overcome a frustrating previous season and maximize his potential in their highly anticipated new campaign.
