P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton is without a permanent race engineer at Ferrari as the Barcelona shakedown test unfolds.
Lewis Hamilton began his 2026 F1 season by participating in the Barcelona shakedown on Tuesday afternoon. However, Ferrari announced changes to his inner circle, with Riccardo Adami no longer serving as his race engineer this year. The replacement for Adami has not been disclosed yet, creating an uncertain situation for Hamilton at the start of pre-season testing. Without a designated race engineer, his teammate Charles Leclerc’s engineer, Bryan Bozzi, is taking on the responsibilities in Barcelona. With concerns raised by former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, the importance of Hamilton forming a strong relationship with his new engineer is emphasized. The potential delay in appointing a new engineer raises questions about whether it will impact Hamilton’s performance in the upcoming races.
