FERRARI CHANGES LOOM: FRED VASSEUR MAY REPLACE LEWIS HAMILTON’S RACE ENGINEER FOR 2026 SEASON
After a sixth-place finish in 2025, Lewis Hamilton may see crew changes as Vasseur aims to unlock the Brit's speed for Ferrari.
Ferrari's boss, Fred Vasseur, isn't ruling anything out when it comes to changes for Lewis Hamilton in 2026, especially after Hamilton's tough start with the F1 team.
The Brit had a rough 2025 season with Ferrari, finishing sixth in the Driver's Championship, almost 100 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
Besides a sprint win in China, Hamilton didn't crack the top three all year, making him one of only a few Ferrari drivers to do so.
A lot of Hamilton's problems came from the SF-25 car, which kept Leclerc from winning and landed Ferrari fourth in the Constructors' Championship.
There were also times when Hamilton seemed to be in heated discussions with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami.
Vasseur told Corriere Della Sera that he wants to make sure Hamilton gets more out of next year.
"We have to get better at working together," he said. He needs to try and get more from the car. Every little thing matters.
It's also about understanding each other better. We know what Lewis needs and wants better on the other side of the garage [Leclerc]. I need to understand what he wants too.
Vasseur didn't say if this meant moving Adami to a different job and giving Hamilton a new race engineer. He just said, We're thinking about all the choices.
Vasseur said he didn't realize how hard Hamilton's switch from Mercedes to Ferrari would be. Changing teams always brings challenges, like dealing with a new race engineer, which was a strong relationship for Hamilton with Peter Bonnington at Mercedes.
Vasseur admitted that there were other things he downplayed when Hamilton moved to Ferrari, and he thinks those things cost Hamilton better spots in qualifying and the race.
"I didn't realize how big of a change it was," he said. He'd been with Mercedes for 20 years.
Everything was different for him: the culture, how they do things, the software, the parts, and the people. If you're not on top of things in every area, it costs you time.
The difference between fifth and 15th place this year was tiny.
Hamilton will be happy to hear Vasseur say that, since he said earlier in the season that he didn't realize how many big changes he'd have to deal with.
KIM KARDASHIAN AND LEWIS HAMILTON SPOTTED ON ROMANTIC EUROPEAN TOUR TOGETHER
Kim Kardashian and F1 star Lewis Hamilton are turning heads across Europe as insiders reveal Kim's "Russell Wilson" nickname.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton are the latest celebrity duo making waves, and apparently, Kim’s already got a cheeky nickname for him. The two have been spotted out together in the Cotswolds, London, and Paris, just enjoying themselves and turning a few heads in the process.
Word is, Kim’s close friends are spilling a few details about this new romance. One insider claims Lewis isn’t looking to settle down right now, but Kim still has a special name for him—she calls him “her Russell Wilson”. If you know the reference, it’s a nod to NFL star Russell Wilson, who married singer Ciara after her high-profile breakup with rapper Future. Friends say Kim thinks of Lewis as a “sophisticated upgrade” from her ex, Kanye West.
Kim and Kanye—now legally known as Ye—were married from 2014 to 2021 and share four kids. Their co-parenting relationship is famously complicated.
Kim’s reportedly a bit anxious about how Kanye will react to her new thing with Lewis, considering Kanye and Lewis were friends back in the day. One source told the Mail, “They’re both cautious about Kanye’s feelings since he and Lewis go way back. Kim’s living for herself these days, but she doesn’t want to poke the bear. They know this could set Kanye off, so they’re keeping it light and just having fun for now.”
Kim and Lewis first crossed paths years ago at GQ’s 2014 Men of the Year Awards. Back then, they both showed up with their now-exes—Kim was with Ye, and Lewis was with Nicole Scherzinger.
Kanye even had Lewis over for Easter one year. He talked about it: “Lewis Hamilton’s over at my house, and we’re playing some music in my studio. We’re having Easter brunch—my wife’s family, my friends, everyone’s there. And everybody’s like, ‘What is this music?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s Lewis Hamilton’s music.’”
Since splitting from Ye, Kim’s dated Pete Davidson and moved on. Kanye’s remarried, too—this time to Australian architect Bianca Censori.
Those two have been in the headlines a lot, usually for their wild fashion choices. Things got especially wild when Bianca showed up at the Grammy Awards in a see-through gown. She arrived in a black fur coat but ditched it to reveal a sheer dress that left little to the imagination. People at the event were definitely stunned.
FERRARI SF-26 COMPLETES 121 LAPS IN HISTORIC LEWIS HAMILTON-LECLERC BARCELONA DEBUT
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a "productive" 121-lap debut for the Ferrari SF-26 during 2026 testing in Barcelona.
Ferrari kicked off its on-track work for the 2026 Formula One season with a steady first day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split driving duties in the team’s bold new car, and the whole thing felt like the start of a new chapter.
With the 2026 rules shaking up both the chassis and the power unit, Ferrari didn’t chase lap times. They zeroed in on checking systems, making sure their data lined up, and ironing out any reliability kinks. The weather threw a few curveballs—rain, some dry patches—but even so, they got through their plan and stacked up plenty of laps.
Leclerc seemed upbeat after his first taste of the new machine. He said it felt good to get back behind the wheel and start figuring out the car, even if the focus was just on systems and not raw speed. “We came here to understand how everything works,” he said. “With the weather mixed up, today was all about checks. We finished what we set out to do, and the car did what we expected. It’s a solid start and a decent base.”
Hamilton, now officially in Ferrari red, felt the same. For him, it was a busy day—lots of on-track time, plenty of new things to get used to—but he called it productive. “We got good mileage, learnt a lot, and didn’t hit any big issues. That’s what matters with so many changes coming in. This gives us a strong platform for the next few days.”
Ferrari’s Head of Track Engineering, Matteo Togninalli, stressed how important it was just to get through the day cleanly. “Given the conditions, it went well for us,” he said. Rain or not, they racked up the laps and—most importantly—avoided any real reliability problems. That’s the top priority when you’re shaking down a brand-new car and engine.
Performance talk? Still way too early for that. Right now, Ferrari’s just learning how this new car behaves, gathering data, and building up bit by bit as the days go on—keeping their focus squarely on themselves.