The relationship between Lewis Hamilton and his newly assigned race engineer seems to be quite rocky, as demonstrated yet again by a tense radio exchange during the recent race in China, which saw Hamilton finish in a disappointing sixth place.
Despite having to make way for Charles Leclerc, who was dealing with damage on his vehicle, Hamilton still ended up in the sixth position in Shanghai. His frustration, which has been building since joining Ferrari, was further compounded when Leclerc’s aggressive maneuver on the opening lap resulted in a collision with Hamilton’s car.
While the damage to Leclerc’s car was significant enough to result in a loss of performance, it was manageable enough for him to continue the race. Hamilton, however, was faced with the difficult decision of letting Leclerc pass him, a move that he initially offered but seemingly retracted moments later.
This led to a frustrating radio exchange between Hamilton and his race engineer, Riccardo Adami. Hamilton indicated that he was struggling and might let Leclerc pass him, to which Adami simply responded, “Understood.” Yet, Hamilton seemed to change his stance shortly after, insisting that Leclerc needed to be closer to him for the swap to occur.
This tension-filled scenario was further exacerbated when Leclerc, stuck behind Hamilton, expressed his disappointment by saying, “This is a shame. The pace is there.” Hamilton responded by saying that he would let Leclerc through “when he’s closer”. Adami, on the other hand, was eager for the swap to happen immediately.
The tension finally lifted when Hamilton allowed Leclerc to pass him in the 21st lap. Leclerc’s race engineer then apologized for the delay, which could have been costly as Max Verstappen managed to pass Leclerc for P4 late in the race. Hamilton, meanwhile, finished a full 25 seconds behind winner Oscar Piastri.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Hamilton has clashed with his team. Even during the early stages of his tenure at Ferrari, his conversations with Adami have been notably blunt and hostile. Communication appears to be a recurring issue, with Hamilton asking for less information in Melbourne and then demanding more in China.
Ferrari’s performance has also been less than stellar, with the car arguably the third fastest on the track at best. This isn’t exactly an ideal start for Hamilton at Ferrari, especially considering the high expectations that had been set for him following his move.
Hamilton and Leclerc are separated by just one point in the standings, with Leclerc having finished ahead in both grand prix so far. The only instance where Hamilton has had the upper hand was during the sprint race.
Hamilton, however, remained tight-lipped after the race. “I struggled,” he told Sky Sports F1. “I didn’t have any rear end, and then the car wasn’t turning at low speeds. So yesterday [in the sprint], I didn’t have that problem.” He further added, “I was just struggling with pace so it was like let me try something.” This curt 38-word response suggests that Hamilton’s frustration with Ferrari is far from over.