Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly rejected any notion of tension with Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami. But it’s clear that the relationship hasn’t started 100% smoothly.
Hamilton sounded frustrated over the team radio on his debut in Australia, with Adami still learning how much information the new signing wanted and when to supply it. There was a warm exchange between the duo a week later after he took Sprint pole in China.
In Miami last time out, though, Hamilton lambasted his team for their indecision. He wanted Charles Leclerc moved aside so he could chase down Kimi Antonelli on faster tyres.
But as Ferrari deliberated, Hamilton cuttingly told them to ‘take a tea break’. They eventually swapped the cars, but he couldn’t shake the Monegasque and he had to return the place.
The Scuderia came within 14 points of ending their constructors’ title drought last year. But amid their regression at the start of 2025, it’s clear that there are still operational holes for Fred Vasseur to address.
Bernie Collins airs concern over ‘hesitant’ decision-making at Ferrari
Discussing Hamilton’s interaction with Adami on Sky Sports‘ coverage at Imola, former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins pointed out a worrying pattern. F1 fans taunted Ferrari for years over their tendency to say ‘we are checking’ on the radio.
Collins has also noticed that ‘hesitation’. She thinks it could be down to the management structure at Maranello.
Rather than taking decisions independently, Ferrari engineers may need a green light from further up the hierarchy. They may be so afraid to make mistakes that it slows them down.
“There seems to be, at times from Ferrari in particular, this hesitation over decision-making,” Collins observed. “I wonder how much of that is checking up the ladder, what opinion does the guy above you in the comms have?
“Is there too much of a panel of management happening rather than just letting the decisions be made, and if there’s a mistake, reviewing it afterwards, so it just seems a bit hesitant.”
Guenther Steiner questions Lewis Hamilton tone on Ferrari radio
Before he joined, Hamilton was warned about Ferrari’s unique working methods. They are the most successful team on the grid but also the oldest, and some of their practices have become ingrained.
Ferrari fans are currently split on Hamilton, according to Italian racing driver Davide Valsecchi. Some think he’s not getting enough respect, while others believe he’s simply not ‘delivering’.
His sarcastic Miami radio may have damaged his reputation among some of the Tifosi. Indeed, Guenther Steiner says Hamilton must be more ‘adaptable’ in a new environment and hinted that he’s expecting too much.
World champion Max Verstappen has occasionally clashed with Gianpiero Lambiase on the Red Bull pit wall. But their partnership is long-established, whereas the Hamilton/Adami duo is brand-new.
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