Despite some of his exchanges with Riccardo Adami coming across as terse, if not testy, Lewis Hamilton says his Ferrari race engineer did a “really good job” in their first race together.

They will, however, need to “download” the Australian Grand Prix, including the comments made from both sides.

From Bono to Adami, Lewis Hamilton’s first GP came across as tense

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix was a baptism of fire, or perhaps best to say of water, for the sport’s new drivers as well as others swapping teams.

Lewis Hamilton counts himself amongst the latter group, the Briton having said goodbye to Mercedes after 12 years to join Ferrari.

Aside from all the notable changes in a new team, new car and new engine, there’s also a new voice in Hamilton’s ear in Riccardo Adami. Having worked with Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington since 2013, Sunday’s race marked Hamilton’s first with Adami issuing the information and instructions.

It came across as a bit tense at times, especially from Hamilton’s side.

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Giving Hamilton a weather update, the Briton replied: “Just don’t repeat everything, please.”

On advice over settings, Hamilton said: “Yes, I know. Leave me to it, please.”

On DRS, the response was: “Leave it, please leave it. I’m learning the car as I go, mate. Just leave me to it with the DRS. It’s not an issue.”

On how to pass with ‘K1’, “I’m not close enough! I’m not close enough! When I’m close I’ll do it.”

That their first race together was a wet one didn’t help as Hamilton and his team-mate Charles Leclerc went from running inside the podium positions to fighting just to score points.

Hamilton: “Mate it’s too slippery. Too dangerous to stay on this tyre. What do you think? It’s not gonna dry now.”
Adami: “Stand by.”

Running second and third, elevated by those ahead pitting, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc then had to pit or risk crashing.

Hamilton: “I thought you said it wasn’t gonna rain much… We lost a big opportunity there.”
Adami: “Understood”
Hamilton: “What position am I in? 9 again?”
Adami: “P9”
Hamilton: “Shit…”
Hamilton: “Sorry, didn’t realise my radio was on.”

Hamilton finished the Grand Prix in 10th place, scoring a point on his debut after being overtaken by Oscar Piastri on the very last lap of the Grand Prix.

Adami: “P10. Good work out there. Unfortunate with timing there but good work.”
Hamilton: “Yeah, it wasn’t great but we’ll keep pushing.”

But despite the seemingly tense exchanges between the two, Hamilton says Adami did a “good job”, they just need more time together to understand what both want from the communication.

“I think Riccardo did a really good job,” he said. “We’re learning about each other bit by bit. We just need to… after this, we’ll download, we’ll go through all the comments, things I said, and vice versa.

“And generally, I’m not one that likes a lot of information in the race. Unless I need it, I’ll ask for it. But he did his best today.”

After all, at the end of the day, both were learning on Sunday and they weren’t helped in their “crash course” by it being a wet Grand Prix.

“I’ve learned a huge amount this weekend. There’s lots to take away from it,” Hamilton added. “I have some changes I will make for next week and see how it goes. But today was a crash course in driving a Ferrari in the rain.”

Pressed on what he would do different, the seven-time World Champion explained: “Many, may things set-up wise. Set the car up just a lot different and position the car different in different parts, parts of the race, different calls.”

Hamilton and Adami can look forward to a dry race in Shanghai with the forecast for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix warm and dry.

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