Lewis Hamilton’s frustrated radio talk with race engineer irks former Ferrari driver

Lewis Hamilton’s first season as a Ferrari driver in 2025 did not go according to plan. It was shaped as much by on-track struggles as by repeated radio friction with race engineer Riccardo Adami. Former Scuderia driver Rubens Barrichello recently weighed in on how to handle such issues.

Hamilton ended the year without a win or a podium, while several flashpoints over team communication drew attention to a partnership that never fully settled. This dynamic drew a comment from Barrichello, who raced for Ferrari between 2000 and 2005 and knows the pressures of driving for the Scuderia.

Speaking on the Automobilismo Flow Podcast, the Brazilian said:

“We go back to Hamilton. What’s going on? What you can more or less gather is that the guy on the radio is kind of fed up, right? He’s giving the engineer a few stern talking-tos. It’s something you resolve behind closed doors, isn’t it… I’m saying, ‘Dude, let’s wait a moment.’ At that moment, it’s an episode. There’s all the emotion. The emotion is intense, man.” (4:14 onwards)

Lewis Hamilton arrived at Maranello carrying enormous expectations after leaving Mercedes, where he spent 12 seasons working alongside Peter Bonnington. That relationship delivered six drivers’ titles and became one of the most stable driver-engineer pairings in modern F1. Ferrari, however, offered a reset.

Bonnington stayed at Mercedes in an expanded role, while the seven-time world champion inherited Riccardo Adami, a long-standing Ferrari engineer who had previously worked with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz. The transition never looked comfortable.

Ferrari’s performance swings exposed communication gaps, and Hamilton often sounded frustrated over the radio, as strategic calls, penalties, and procedural details went against him.

In Miami, the Briton openly questioned Ferrari’s hesitation over team orders, accusing the pit wall of indecision. In Monaco, mixed messages from Adami led to Hamilton impeding Max Verstappen in qualifying, earning a grid penalty that further strained relations. The tension was audible over the radio, with Hamilton later asking, “Are you upset with me?”

Barrichello stressed that emotional outbursts are part of racing but warned that airing frustrations publicly can add to the pressure that already comes with driving for the Prancing Horse.

“The pressure he’s under today at Ferrari, which I know what it’s like, is much greater than any other team he’s been on,” he added. “You arrive as a multiple-time champion. People look at you differently. There’s a good side to it, but there’s also the pressure.”

Similar frustrations surfaced later in the year. In Brazil, Lewis Hamilton voiced concerns over unclear guidance during wheel-to-wheel battles. In Abu Dhabi, he objected to being informed of track-limit warnings after a second infringement.

Qualifying also became a recurring issue. Disagreements over when to push, when to pit, and when to switch tires contributed to an unwanted record, with Hamilton suffering four Q1 exits and five Q2 eliminations across the season.

Mercedes director explains why Ferrari needs a stronger Lewis Hamilton-engineer bond heading into 2026

Lewis Hamilton’s struggles have revived discussions about the importance of the driver-engineer relationship, especially with major regulation changes coming in 2026. His success at Mercedes was built on long-term trust with Peter Bonnington, while Riccardo Adami’s previous Ferrari partnerships, including with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz, delivered solid but not championship-defining results.

Managing Director of Mercedes power units, Hywel Thomas, recently explained that the 2026 regulations will require far more in-race interaction between drivers and engineers due to changes in electrical energy deployment. With the MGU-H removed, greater reliance on battery management, and a manual power boost system replacing DRS, drivers will need more guidance from race engineers.

“What is going to definitely change with this regulation set is the interaction with the driver because of the electrical aspect of it… its going to be working with the driver to make sure they’ve got the right energy at the right time to defend to attack to go as quickly as they can… potentially during the races but definitely beforehand, far more than we have now,” he said on F1 Beyond the Grid. (19: 00 onwards)

Any lingering friction risks being amplified under the new rules. Lewis Hamilton has already hinted that internal adjustments may be needed as Ferrari prepares for preseason testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next month.