Hamilton Denies Seeking Ferrari Staff Changes
Hamilton Denies Seeking Ferrari Staff Changes
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Key Points
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Hamilton said Ferrari’s strategic decisions were driven by his desire to win, including asking over team radio at the Dutch Grand Prix whether he was being used as a “guinea pig.” He also said it was difficult watching Mercedes execute strategy decisions immediately.
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Hamilton’s engineering support was reorganized ahead of 2026: Riccardo Adami moved to Ferrari’s driver academy, Carlo Santi became race engineer, and Cedric Grosjean joined from McLaren.
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Hamilton claimed his first Ferrari victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June before his subsequent run of five races without a podium.
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His Spanish Grand Prix retirement was attributed to a brake-system failure, according to Crash.net, rather than solely to the broader strategic and execution problems discussed after the race.
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Hamilton had 191 championship points and a 24-point advantage over Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc while sitting third in the standings, according to Crash.net.
Lewis Hamilton denied reports that he asked Ferrari to replace trackside staff or that his relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur had deteriorated. WBAL reported the allegations emerged after Hamilton's public frustrations over Ferrari's race strategy and execution, including disputes at the Italian and Spanish Grands Prix.
Hamilton retired from the Spanish Grand Prix and then went five races without a podium, leaving him third in the championship standings, 101 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli. He said Ferrari's staff work hard and that he remains fully committed to supporting them.
Hamilton's Strategic Frustrations at Ferrari
Hamilton said Ferrari's strategic decisions were driven by his desire to win. At the Dutch Grand Prix, he questioned over team radio whether he was being used as a "guinea pig." Motor Biscuit reported that Hamilton found it difficult watching his former team Mercedes execute strategy decisions immediately.
His most recent podium drought followed a breakthrough first Ferrari victory at Barcelona-Catalunya in June. The Spanish Grand Prix retirement was attributed to a brake-system failure rather than solely to strategic problems discussed after the race, according to Crash.net.
Championship Standing and Performance Gap
Hamilton held 191 championship points and a 24-point advantage over Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc while sitting third overall, Crash.net reported. The 101-point gap to leader Antonelli represents a steep climb with limited races remaining in the 2025 season.
His performances have fallen significantly short of expectations in his first year at Ferrari. The championship battle has effectively slipped away as other drivers consolidate points and Hamilton struggles to find consistency.
Engineering Changes Enter 2026 Season
Ferrari reorganized Hamilton's engineering support before the 2026 season following his disappointing 2025 campaign. Riccardo Adami moved to Ferrari's driver academy, Carlo Santi became race engineer, and Cedric Grosjean joined the team from McLaren.
The Independent noted that Hamilton denied calling for these changes despite the staff reorganization. He accompanied his denial statement with a photo of team personnel to underscore his commitment to working with Ferrari's crew.
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