Brundle highlights what Hamilton is ‘terribly’ missing as Ferrari driver talks changes

Putting out his 12-point plan, of whatever it’s up to now, Lewis Hamilton said ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that Ferrari need to look at personnel and “whether people need to move into different positions to work better”.

That could yet entail the Briton getting a new race engineer as he has not gelled with Riccardo Adami while Martin Brundle believes the seven-time World Champion “terribly” misses his relationship with his long-time guide, Peter Bonnington.

Lewis Hamilton: “Whether people need to move into different positions to work better…”

Alas Bono, who couldn’t follow Hamilton to Ferrari due to a ‘non-poaching’ clause, signed as Mercedes’ head of race engineering last season.

As such Hamilton teamed up with Carlos Sainz’s former race engineer, Adami. The relationship, though, has been anything but smooth.

Clashing several times over the radio, Hamilton was forced to deny reports of tension earlier this season.

“Our relationship is great. No problems. We’re constantly learning more and more about each other,” said the Briton.

“We’re constantly adapting to the way both of us like to work. He’s worked with lots of different drivers before. We don’t have any problems whatsoever.”

“There’s a lot of speculation. Most of it is BS,” he added.

However, as Hamilton approached the end of his debut season with Ferrari, his first-ever in Formula 1 without a grand prix podium, he made it clear that personnel changes were needed at Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton v Charles Leclerc: Ferrari 2025 head-to-head scores

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

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“I’ve got to decide what my approach is when it comes to sitting down with the key stakeholders to make the decisions, and how that approach is to create the change that’s needed,” Hamilton told PlanetF1.com and other media in Abu Dhabi.

“In terms of personal reflection, every weekend I’ve written down what I felt went wrong that weekend, the decisions I’ve taken, so there’s a lot of learnings to do there. Through my break I will analyse those decisions and make markers on how I can make better decisions in the future.

“My surroundings in terms of personal personnel, team personnel, how you utilise people, whether people need to move into different positions to work better – all these different things need to be looked upon in my personal space so that we can optimise our teamwork.”

But while the Briton didn’t name names, former F1 driver turned Sky Sports pundit Brundle noted that one thing that has hurt Hamilton this season has been his relationship with his race engineer.

While in the past had Bono and ‘Hammer Time’, and Adami he’s had the occasional cutting comment and even silence.

Although any driver’s relationship with their race engineer needs to grow with time, with Hamilton and Adami it shows no sign of finding a happy rapport. It is, however in its first season and neither shares the same first language.

But it is hurting Hamilton, says Brundle.

Speaking about Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase at the final grand prix of the championship, Brundle told Sky F1: “They know how each other thinks, and ‘GP’ Lambiase translates what Max wants, Max gets quite vociferous about that on a Friday sometimes

“I think, for example, that’s what Lewis has missed terribly going to Ferrari, somebody who understands what they’re saying, what they need. All the little nuances.

“And also, a bit like Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher were able to do, ‘GP’ and the strategists and Max go fast, go slow. Whatever they need Max to do, they know he will deliver it flawlessly.”

Hamilton finished his debut campaign without a single podium on the board, his first season without a podium since joining the Formula 1 grid in 2008. His teammate Charles Leclerc secured seven top-three results.

Hamilton will continue with Ferrari next season in what could be his final year on the grid.

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