The landscape of Scuderia Ferrari’s technical team has undergone a significant change as the Formula 1 community looks toward the seismic regulation shift of the 2026 season. Riccardo Adami, one of the most experienced and well-known voices on the Maranello pit wall, will no longer serve in his trackside role as a race engineer, effective January 2026.

In a strategic reshuffle, Ferrari has moved Adami into a pivotal new management position within the organization, capitalizing on his decades of engineering knowledge and deep understanding of Formula 1 operations. The move marks the end of his latest trackside partnership with Lewis Hamilton, a pairing that had drawn significant scrutiny throughout the challenging 2025 campaign.

A Shift in Focus: From Pit Wall to Talent Pipeline

Riccardo Adami’s new chapter sees him transitioning into a key strategic role that focuses on the future of the Prancing Horse. The veteran engineer has been officially appointed as the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and Test Previous Cars Manager.

This is a crucial, non-trackside role, designed to channel his extensive F1 expertise into developing the next generation of driving talent while optimizing the team’s testing programs. His responsibilities now include a blend of management and technical oversight, ensuring Ferrari’s young drivers are prepared for the pinnacle of motorsport and that historic car testing yields maximum data for performance culture.

New Role: Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and Test Previous Cars Manager
Impact: Overseeing the development of future Ferrari talent and managing the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme.
Effective Date: January 16, 2026

The Challenging Context of the Transition

Adami’s departure from the pit wall for car #44 followed a difficult single season pairing him with Lewis Hamilton. The relationship between a race engineer and a driver is one of the most critical in F1, demanding perfect synchronicity and clarity under pressure. Reports throughout the 2025 season highlighted an apparent lack of the requisite chemistry, with some tense exchanges over the team radio being publicly broadcast.

Hamilton’s quest for consistent, clear, and emotionally attuned guidance during critical race moments reportedly created friction, ultimately convincing the Maranello leadership that a structural change was necessary to optimize the seven-time World Champion’s performance ahead of the major rule changes scheduled for 2026.

Adami’s Legacy: Engineering Legends

While his final trackside partnership was short-lived, Adami’s career as a race engineer is storied and distinguished. His reputation was forged working with several high-profile drivers over the years, a history that makes him uniquely qualified for his new developmental role.

A History of High-Profile Driver Partnerships:

Sebastian Vettel: Adami was his race engineer at both Toro Rosso and later during the German’s tenure at Scuderia Ferrari.
Carlos Sainz Jr.: He served as Sainz’s race engineer from 2021 until the end of the 2024 season.
Other Drivers: His career at the Faenza squad (Minardi/Toro Rosso) also saw him engineer drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Sébastien Buemi.

The focus now shifts to who will replace Adami as Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer for the 2026 season, with Ferrari confirming the appointment for car #44 will be announced in due course. The restructuring underscores Ferrari’s commitment to innovation and competitiveness as they aim to reclaim their championship standing in what promises to be a radically different Formula 1 era.

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