Ferrari set to take gamble on ‘special talent’ as Lewis Hamilton’s new 2026 race engineer

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Lewis Hamilton is searching for a new race engineer for the 2026 Formula 1 season, and it appears that Ferrari have got their man.

The seven-time champion worked with Riccardo Adami in 2025, who previously worked with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz. However, the duo seemed to clash numerous times throughout the season.

One particular radio message in Abu Dhabi was damaging, highlighting that Hamilton and Adami’s working relationship was not a good one. For 2026, the latter will take on a new role at Ferrari, leaving the former needing a new race engineer.

The Maranello outfit have been assessing multiple candidates, internally and externally. Luca Diella has been mentioned in the running, having worked with Hamilton at Mercedes from 2019 to 2024 and followed him to Ferrari in 2025.

Teammate Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, will work with Hamilton during pre-season testing in Barcelona, as Ferrari will run one car at a time. But it seems that the team have now decided on the Brit’s new race engineer.

McLaren’s Cedric-Michel Grosjean is ‘Ferrari-bound’, according to Craig Slater

McLaren engineer Cedric-Michel Grosjean has been linked as Hamilton’s new race engineer, with the Frenchman being considered a top candidate. He left the Woking outfit in December, having worked closely with Oscar Piastri in 2025.

Now, according to journalist Craig Slater, Grosjean is ‘Ferrari-bound’ and looks set to be Adami’s replacement in 2026. It will be the first time he has taken on a race engineering role.

Slater said via Sky Sports News: “People will be reading about the name Cedric Grosjean and thinking that the chronology of what appears to be Ferrari signing him from McLaren is significant in this regard.

“He was not a race engineer at McLaren. He’s a French engineer, pretty much bilingual, speaks very good English. Worked on Oscar Piastri’s side of the garage last year, was maybe instrumental in Piastri being able to harness all the data and really maximising his performance.

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“So it’s someone on an upward trajectory in engineering terms, but I have to say, it will be a big first job as a race engineer, without having been a race engineer in F1, to go to Ferrari and to engineer the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

“So, I think Ferrari, if that is what they are planning for him, and I haven’t had confirmation of that yet, that they must think he’s a pretty special talent.

“He exited McLaren in December, will have to work some gardening leave, but I understand he is Ferrari-bound, although they have not confirmed that.”

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Is Lewis Hamilton rejuvenated again at Ferrari ahead of 2026?

Hamilton will be desperate for 2026 to be a success. He had what was arguably his worst season in F1 in 2025, failing to score a podium in a calendar year for the first time.

A switch of race engineer and regulations may be just what he needs to be competitive again. Grosjean’s appointment will be a gamble, considering that he has never had a role like this before, but Hamilton seems to be feeling positive.

Hamilton has been staying at the Ferrari factory over the winter, something Michael Schumacher used to do regularly. It would suggest that the 41-year-old is reinvigorated and ready to go again in 2026.

However, Hamilton is expecting a massive challenge this season as the new regulations are set to shake up the pecking order completely. It will be up to Ferrari to build a competitive package, but also for Hamilton to deliver the results.