Ferrari's decision that could change Hamilton's season found to be 'strange'

After initial confirmation that Riccardo Adami would continue as Hamilton's race engineer for the 2026 season, Ferrari announced ahead of the Barcelona pre-season test that the Italian will take on a new role starting this year.

Who will be in Hamilton's ears during Grand Prix weekends remains unknown. According to former F1 driver Chandhok, the decision should have been made sooner, finding the situation "strange".

Speaking on talkSport, he explained: "If they were going to make that decision, why did they not make it in December as the relationship between the driver and their race engineer is so important for success."

Hamilton was accompanied by Peter Bonnington, also known as ‘Bono’, during his multiple world title–winning seasons. Likewise, Max Verstappen’s partnership with Gianpiero Lambiase has been one of the pillars of Red Bull’s success.

Chandhok argues that the new race engineer should have been selected by December. "[That would have] allowed Lewis and the engineer to build a relationship over the winter by using the simulator and things like that."

Still, Chandhok is yet to draw conclusions: "It is what it is. They still haven't announced who the replacement for Riccardo Adami is, so let's wait and see how it plays out."