DETRIMENTAL SHIFT: LEWIS HAMILTON SLAMS FERRARI'S MID-SEASON RACE ENGINEER CHANGE IN BAHRAIN
Lewis Hamilton warns that Ferrari's race engineer change is detrimental. Analyse his struggle with the 2026 rules and Bahrain tests.
Lewis Hamilton isn’t shy about how rough his start at Ferrari has been. Now, with the team switching up his race engineer for the new Formula 1 season, he’s calling the move “detrimental”. Honestly, it just seems to be adding to his frustration.
The 2026 season kicks off on March 8 in Melbourne, and while most people are buzzing about the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton isn’t exactly riding that excitement. During pre-season testing in Bahrain, he sounded pretty uneasy.
Last year was brutal for him; he didn’t even make the podium, which had never happened before. After that, he split from Riccardo Adami, who had been his first race engineer at Ferrari. So, Ferrari brought in Carlo Santi, but only as a temporary fix. Hamilton’s not thrilled about that, either.
He put it plainly: “It’s actually quite a difficult period because it’s not long-term. The solution we have now is only for a few races. Early on, things will switch up again, and I’ll have to get used to working with someone new. That’s detrimental to a season where you want to show up with a team that’s been through thick and thin together and can stay calm. But that’s just where I am, and I’ll try to do the best I can. The team’s doing all they can to make the transition as smooth as possible.”
Switching away from Adami wasn’t easy. Hamilton talked about it in Bahrain: “With Riccardo, it was obviously a very difficult decision. I’m really grateful for all the work he put in last year, and the patience he showed last year was tough for everyone.”
For now, Santi will work with Hamilton during pre-season testing, and they’ll head into the new season together. But Ferrari hasn’t said who’ll take over the role for good after Santi steps aside. Hamilton is jumping into his 2026 Ferrari twice this week for testing, with the first race just around the corner.
There’s more change in the air, too. This season, the rulebook’s updated, and all cars will run 50-50 hybrid power units. Managing energy in the car just got a lot more crucial, and the connection between driver and engineer matters even more.
Reflecting on the car’s feel in Bahrain, Hamilton said, “Right now it doesn’t feel anything like what I’m used to, and honestly, it’s just too early to say much. We’re still testing all kinds of things, trying to find the sweet spot. The tyres aren’t right yet, the aero package isn’t sorted, and the ride height and mechanical balance—none of it’s dialled in. So I’m not judging it yet.
“Today, the wind was the wildest and gustiest I’ve ever seen here. We just had to deal with it and not read too much into the first day. Mornings here are never much fun anyway. But overall, like I said after the last test, this car is definitely more fun to drive.”
WHY MAX VERSTAPPEN BLAMES THE RB22 FOR RED BULL’S 2026 DOWNFALL
Red Bull faces a crisis as Max Verstappen finishes 8th at Suzuka, calling for "stronger" engine deployment before Miami.
Max Verstappen didn’t hold back after a rough weekend at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, making it clear the RB22’s chassis is where Red Bull really needs to step up. He struggled just to stay ahead of an Alpine, and for a guy with four titles, that stings.
Things started going sideways in qualifying; he dropped out in Q2 and had to start 11th on the grid. At first, it looked like he might be able to turn things around. Verstappen got off the line well, jumped past Gabriel Bortoleto, slipped by teammate Isack Hadjar, and then picked off Esteban Ocon and a Haas. That bumped him up to eighth, and after a pit stop for hard tyres under the safety car, things didn't look terrible. Respectable, but not where you expect to see Verstappen.
But then he got stuck behind Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. Gasly wasn’t in the mood to make life easy for his old Red Bull teammate. He defended hard, Verstappen couldn’t find a way by, and seventh slipped right out of reach. Not only did Verstappen lose out, but Alpine leapfrogged Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, another sign this season isn’t off to a great start. With Hadjar finishing out of the points too, it’s officially Red Bull’s worst season start since 2015.
Verstappen didn’t mince words afterwards. “I’m always talking with the team,” he told reporters. “We need to figure out this new package. I don’t think it worked that well here. We’ve had a ton of stability problems, and we need to find a more stable balance, plus get a better handle on the engine and deployment. Just be stronger all around.”
Gasly was on top of his game. Even when Verstappen managed to slip past in the Casio Triangle, Gasly punched right back, using his battery deployment and racing sense to reclaim the spot on the main straight. You could feel Verstappen’s frustration at one point; he jokingly waved Gasly back past as the Alpine flew by, which probably says it all.
Now, with the Miami GP over a month away, Red Bull’s got time to dig deep and figure out how to right the ship. Verstappen himself is off to the Nordschleife, getting ready for the Nurburgring 24 Hours in a Mercedes AMG GT3, but you can bet conversations with Red Bull management are coming first.
He’s also baffled and pretty annoyed by the new F1 regulations, especially the need to manage the battery during a qualifying lap. Drivers now have to lift and coast through corners like 130R, sometimes losing 70 km/h due to “Super Clipping,” which just kills the rhythm. “It’s confusing,” Verstappen said. “Now you go faster in qualifying by going slower, less throttle, more lifting. That’s not how it should be.”
It’s not just qualifying that’s a headache. The race showed off some of the dangers these new rules bring. Oliver Bearman had a nasty crash at the Spoon Curve after he ran up on a much slower Franco Colapinto, a 50G impact that left him limping, but thankfully unhurt. The FIA said they’ll hold meetings in April to look at these new regs, so maybe changes are on the way.
For Red Bull and Verstappen, though, there’s no sugarcoating it. The car’s off the pace, and frustration is running high. There’s a lot of work ahead if they want to join the fight at the front again.
THE HARDEST EARNED: WHY LEWIS HAMILTON CALLS HIS FIRST FERRARI GP PODIUM HIS TOUGHEST
Lewis Hamilton reflects on his "hardest-earned" Ferrari podium at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix alongside Bono.
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Lewis Hamilton recently reflected on his first podium finish with Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix, describing it as the hardest podium he’s ever had to earn.
Although he claimed victory in the 2025 Chinese sprint race with Ferrari, he hadn’t made it to the podium in a full grand prix until now. After a refreshing winter break and adapting to the new regulations, Hamilton finally hit that milestone and currently sits fourth in the drivers’ standings.
“I had the sprint race win last year, which was amazing, especially with my dad there,” Hamilton shared with F1 about his initial podium with Ferrari. “Bringing my mum to China this time and sharing that incredible week with her before getting my first podium made it all the more special.”
He went on to say, “I’d been chasing that podium for quite a while, and it honestly felt like I’d never worked so hard to get one. I was really grateful. It felt like my first, even though I’ve had a few before. Being up there in red, alongside Bono and Kimi, remembering his first win and George, brought back a lot of nostalgia.”
Hamilton also spoke about the atmosphere with his team following the achievement, emphasising how much it meant to everyone. “It was huge. The team, especially those in the garage, has been incredible over the last year. Their support has never wavered.”
He continued, “After every weekend where I fell short last year, I’d come back feeling gutted, disappointed that I hadn’t delivered for them. But they were always encouraging, saying, ‘Next time, next time.’ Their positivity kept me going. So, finally reaching the podium and seeing how happy and grateful they were really touched me.”
“That moment fuels me to push even harder, dig deeper, and keep building with the team,” Hamilton concluded.
