Lewis Hamilton explains the difference between Ferrari and Mercedes radio messages, ‘jeez’

Lewis Hamilton is working with Sebastian Vettel’s former engineer at Ferrari this season. Fred Vasseur decided to leave Riccardo Adami in his post after the exit of Carlos Sainz.

Hamilton called Vettel to ask about Adami, who started his F1 career at Toro Rosso forerunners Minardi. Following the takeover, he worked with promising Red Bull youngsters like Daniel Ricciardo.

Adami moved to Ferrari in 2015, coinciding with Vettel’s arrival. After supporting the four-time world champion for six seasons, he took up the same role for Sainz.

The Italian has helped his drivers win 18 races over the last decade (14 for Vettel, three for Sainz). But he still doesn’t have a championship to his name.

At Mercedes, Hamilton formed the most successful driver-engineer partnership in the sport’s history. Peter Bonnington was the voice in his ear for all six of his championships (and all 84 of his wins) at Brackley.

When he announced his move last February, fans naturally wondered whether Bonnington would follow him to Italy. However, Mercedes successfully tied down a valued asset ahead of Kimi Antonelli’s arrival.

Lewis Hamilton reveals ‘completely different’ communication style at Mercedes after leaving Ferrari

Hamilton has started working with Adami during Ferrari’s off-season testing programme. Across four outings in Italy and Spain, he’s driven the 2023, ’24 and ’25 cars.

Speaking to ESPN’s SportsCenter, he offered some insight on the adaptation period. He says Adami’s communication style is ‘much different’ from what he got used to with Bonnington.

This is crucial, because it will partly determine car set-up decisions and race strategies, and any miscommunication could spoil a weekend. The seven-time champion has also noted the unfamiliar display on the steering wheel.

Hamilton has gained more respect for Vettel and Alonso after seeing just how much work is required to feel comfortable at Ferrari.

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“I feel really aligned with everyone here but in the car it’s completely different,” he said. “The messages they send me are much different than what I’ve experienced before. Everything that comes on the dash is different.

“The whole set-up of the front and the rear, it’s all different. [The purpose is] to achieve something similar, but the terminology is different. Jeez, I could go on and on and on. But when there’s a will, there’s a way and we are putting in as much work as we can.”

Ferrari fans playfully mock Lewis Hamilton after one moment in 2025 car test

Nigel Mansell says it would be a ‘dream come true’ if Hamilton won his first race in Australia. By doing so, he would emulate Alonso (2010 Bahrain GP).

But Hamilton has been keen to stress that he might need time to maximise the potential of his side of the garage. It wasn’t until just before the summer break in 2013 that he won his first race for Mercedes.

It’s also worth noting that he’s signed for multiple years, so 2025 isn’t make-or-break. However, Ferrari should have an opportunity this year based on their recent form, and the 2026 regulation changes mean that nothing is certain going forward.

The 40-year-old should have racked up extensive mileage before the season begins. He’s already driven the SF-25 ahead of the three-day Bahrain test, though Ferrari fans did tease Hamilton for taking ‘tea time’ during his session.