F1 news: Lewis Hamilton hindered by ‘poor communication’ and ‘no chemistry’ at Ferrari
Seven-time world champion and Scuderia Ferrari’s newest driver, Lewis Hamilton, has continued to struggle finding his feet this year during his debut with the Italian team.
Though he has achieved 146 points over 19 races, this period of tribulation has made Hamilton the longest Ferrari driver to not yet achieve a podium in red, surpassing Didier Pironi’s record of 18 races.
Requiring time to get used to the car and adapt to a new team has been cited as a reason for Hamilton’s ongoing strife, but his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, has now come under fire for the quality of his radios during the Mexico City Grand Prix on the weekend of October 24-26.
Sports News Blitz’s Ellie Man reports on the growing scrutiny surrounding Hamilton’s communication issues with his race engineer and what it could mean for Ferrari’s internal dynamics moving forward.
What happened in Mexico City?
With a 10-second penalty served in the pit, Hamilton ultimately finished in P8, earning a disappointing four points after qualifying P3.
However, these efforts were still significant to the team, allowing Ferrari to reclaim P2 in the Constructors’ championship. This came alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc, finishing P2 in the race.
Hopes for a double Ferrari podium were quickly dashed at the chaotic start of the race, in which Verstappen and Hamilton battled wheel-to-wheel on Lap 1 for P3.
After a few tense turns, Hamilton went wide and left the track to take the escape road at turn four, minimising the risk of damage to the car.
Adami later communicated to the British driver, “We have a 10-second time penalty for the incident at turn four with Verstappen. We don’t agree, but let’s keep the head down.”
However, the contact was not the cause of Hamilton’s penalty.
Rather, it was for gaining a lasting advantage after leaving the track.
As a result, Karun Chandhok - broadcaster and former driver - said live on Sky Sports, “That’s poor communication because you’ve unnecessarily riled up the driver without giving him all of the facts.”
“He’s not been given a penalty for the incident, he’s been given the penalty because he gained time,” Chandhok carried on, clarifying the occurrence for viewers.
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Miscommunication and a lack of connection
Another retired racer turned analyst, Robert Doornbos, echoed Chandhok’s criticism of Ferrari’s internal miscommunication, further stating that “there is just no chemistry between the engineer and the driver.”
This penalty led to Hamilton’s continued streak of struggle, remaining off the podium for yet another race as he continues to adjust to a new team after 12 impressive years with Mercedes-AMG Petronas.
Hamilton previously worked alongside Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, and the pair were often praised for their efficient teamwork during the course of their years in tandem.
But with Bono staying at Mercedes, and now the race engineer of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, this relationship has not yet formed between Hamilton and Adami.
“The communication between Lewis and Ricky, his engineer, it just doesn’t feel like they’re switched on to each other,’ Doornbos continued, flagging his concerns and triggering conversation about whether Adami is the right race engineer for Hamilton.
Post-race, while Frédéric Vasseur - team principal at Ferrari - commented on the “harsh” penalty, Hamilton only reflected that, “It [the race] was fun at the start and didn’t end up the way I had hoped, but it’s motor racing.”
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What next?
With the Mexico City GP now in the past, the team will be looking to keep their hold on P2 in the Constructors’ championship as they go into Brazil this weekend, from November 7-9.
With 356 points gained, Ferrari are only one point ahead of Hamilton’s former team, Mercedes, at 355, and Red Bull Racing are merely 10 points behind at 346, bringing a fierce fight for P2.
Hamilton has previously won three times in Brazil (2016, 2018, 2021), and garners huge amounts of support at Interlagos.
In the past, Hamilton has praised the unparalleled atmosphere, passionate fans, and has repeatedly mentioned his long-lasting admiration of Ayrton Senna, leading to the British driver being made an honorary citizen of Brazil in 2022.
Hamilton still needs to overcome his struggles with adapting to Ferrari, and Adami must figure out how to effectively communicate with the seven-time champion as a key part of this adjustment.
However, there’s no doubt that Hamilton seeks to expand upon his success in Brazil, and begin his record of victory in red.
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