Lewis Hamilton continues to search for the perfect partnership with engineer Riccardo Adami at Ferrari – former driver Robert Doornbos speaks of a lack of chemistry
The relationship between Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer Riccardo Adami has been a topic of conversation since the season opener in Melbourne. Although the Brit himself has emphasized that speculation about an alleged rift is “bullshit,” the collaboration does not seem to be running smoothly so far.
Former driver Robert Doornbos also suspects that the coordination between driver and engineer is not working optimally. “I think it’s simply because there’s no chemistry between the engineer and the driver,” the Dutchman explained in The Pit Talk podcast.
“The communication between Lewis and Ricky [Adami], his engineer, just doesn’t seem like they’re really on the same page.” The Mexican Grand Prix in particular reinforced Doornbos’ assessment that the two were “not really on point.”
Robert Doornbos: “Not really on the same page”
Hamilton received a ten-second penalty there after cutting the track in a duel. Observers believed that Ferrari could have intervened and instructed Hamilton to reduce the gap behind him in order to possibly avoid the penalty once he returned to the track.
“It was Ricky who said, ‘We have a ten-second penalty because of this and that situation.’ And Lewis replied, ‘Yes, but it was very difficult to stay on the track.’ We know Lewis,” adds Doornbos. “I don’t think they’re really in sync.”
“If you want to fight for victories, championships, and podium places, you have to take every opportunity to get the most out of it,” emphasizes the Dutchman, pointing out that the chemistry between driver and race engineer is a crucial factor for success. Hamilton is still waiting for this success at Ferrari. Although the Briton has already triumphed in the sprint race in China, he is still waiting for his first podium finish in a Grand Prix. With four races to go before the end of the season, Hamilton is in sixth place in the drivers’ standings with 146 points, behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who is in fifth place with 210 points.