Vasseur evaluating all options for Hamilton's 2025 race engineer

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has confirmed the team is "evaluating all options" regarding Lewis Hamilton's race engineer for the 2025 season, leaving the door open for a potential change from current engineer Riccardo Adami. The announcement came during Ferrari's traditional end-of-year media lunch, where Vasseur addressed Hamilton's difficult debut season with the Scuderia, which was marked by several public radio exchanges that highlighted communication challenges.

Why it matters:

The relationship between a driver and their race engineer is one of the most critical partnerships in Formula 1, directly impacting race strategy, car feedback, and in-race performance. For a seven-time world champion like Hamilton, who is navigating a complex transition to a new team, establishing clear and effective communication is paramount. Any change in this key role could significantly influence Hamilton's adaptation and Ferrari's overall competitiveness next season.

The details:

• Vasseur's brief statement, "We are evaluating all options," was a direct response to questions about whether Riccardo Adami would remain as Hamilton's race engineer in 2025.
• The 2024 season featured several notable radio exchanges between Hamilton and Adami that sparked widespread discussion, pointing to moments of misunderstanding or frustration.
• Vasseur elaborated on Hamilton's challenging transition, noting it involved far more than just cultural adjustments. He stated that "every single software is different, every single component is different, and the people around him were different" compared to Mercedes.
• Hamilton finished the 2024 season without a podium for the first time in his career, while Ferrari secured fourth in the Constructors' Championship, falling short of pre-season expectations.

What's next:

Ferrari's evaluation will likely weigh the benefits of continuity with Adami against the potential for a fresh start with a new engineer to better synergize with Hamilton. The decision forms a key part of Ferrari's broader effort to optimize its operations around its new star driver. With the 2025 car development underway, establishing a seamless driver-engineer partnership during winter testing will be crucial for Hamilton and Ferrari to mount a stronger challenge next season.