Luca Diella favored to become Lewis Hamilton's new race engineer at Ferrari

Ferrari is reportedly positioning Luca Diella to take over as Lewis Hamilton's race engineer for the 2026 season, replacing Riccardo Adami who moves to the Ferrari Driver Academy. Diella, a former Mercedes performance engineer, is the favorite to guide the seven-time champion through the new regulatory era.

Why it matters:

The relationship between a driver and race engineer is critical for extracting performance, especially during a regulation overhaul. With Hamilton transitioning to Ferrari and the 2026 rules placing a premium on power unit software and energy management, bringing in a trusted ally like Diella could smooth the adaptation process and maximize the team's title chances.

The details:

• The Candidate: Luca Diella worked closely with Hamilton at Mercedes from 2019 to 2024, specializing in power unit management and software optimization—key areas for the 2026 regulations.
• Driver Feedback: Hamilton previously praised their chemistry during the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix weekend, noting they had "directly a good dynamic" despite the mid-season adjustment.
• Internal Shift: Riccardo Adami is stepping away from the pit wall to join the Ferrari Driver Academy, ending his tenure as Hamilton's engineer after a season marked by notable radio exchanges.
• Strategic Fit: Team principal Fred Vasseur appears focused on optimizing Hamilton's environment. Diella’s technical background aligns perfectly with the demands of the new power unit generation.

What's next:

Ferrari has remained tight-lipped, stating only that the appointment will be announced "in due time." However, the alignment of Diella’s expertise with the 2026 technical challenges makes him a logical choice to spearhead Hamilton's campaign at Maranello.