Formula 1 has arrived in Barcelona, where teams are shaking down their new challengers. But big questions linger at Ferrari, as Lewis Hamilton is still missing a race engineer ahead of the 2026 campaign.With teams getting to grips with the new regulations, they need as much off-the-track stability as possible. However, Ferrari’s decision to remove race engineer Riccardo Adami has left Lewis Hamilton without a key team member, just six weeks out from the first race in Australia. Though time is running out for the seven-time world champion to find a replacement, it’s vital that he makes the right call. After all, the Hamilton-Ferrari partnership, which was touted as the biggest move in the sport’s history, was one of last year’s biggest disappointments. Off-camera in Barcelona, the Scuderia said “the matter was in hand,” and there would be “a permanent appointment in place” for the start of the season. Ferrari needs to find someone who can help Hamilton extract the absolute maximum out of the SF-26, but who could it be?
Amid rumors that at ex-McLaren man Cedric Michel-Grosjean could be in the frame, we take a look at the runners and riders—and try to judge who’s going to be Hamilton’s new running mate.
Peter “Bono” Bonnington (not happening)
If Hamilton could handpick Adami’s replacement, he’d probably choose his ex-Mercedes race engineer “Bono.” At this point, rival fans are probably bored of hearing “It’s Hammertime” in the run-up to every pit stop, but the pair formed an iconic pairing, winning six F1 drivers’ titles together.
The problem for Hamilton is that Mercedes have rewarded Bonnington with a promotion. Now, he’s not only Kimi Antonelli’s race engineer, he’s also head of trackside performance. His seniority means that even if he did miraculously agree to bin a big opportunity at the Silver Arrows, he’d be placed on at least a year’s gardening leave, sidelining him for the foreseeable future.
Having a trusted ally in the team would be hugely beneficial to Hamilton. But if this move was going to happen, it would’ve been agreed upon 1-2 years ago. Sources inside the paddock say it’s definitely off the cards. It seems like Bono’s staying put, so Ferrari needs to look elsewhere.
Carlo Santi (unlikely) 
In the run-up to the Barcelona shakedown, it was rumored in the Italian press that Kimi Raikkonen’s former race engineer Carlo Santi would be brought in for the test. As it turns out, Ferrari have also asked teammate Charles Leclerc’s race engineer Bryan Bozzi to help, wing-manning both drivers. As each team can only run one driver at a time anyway, this makes a lot of sense. However, if it’s not possible to secure a permanent replacement before Australia, Santi’s name could still be in the frame for a stopgap role. With 15 years’ experience, he’s certainly long enough in the tooth. He’s also dealt with Kimi on the radio, so Lewis should be child’s play!
Should they link up and start building a rapport, Ferrari may decide to keep them together. But even the most optimistic reports say Santi’s role would be temporary. If Ferrari did look internally, they wouldn’t be short of ex-staff to choose from either (who wouldn’t want to see Rob Smedley back), so Santi might not be the pick of the bunch.
Luca Diella (still possible) 
Signed by Ferrari as a performance engineer in 2025, Luca Diella was until fairly recently, the standout favourite. He worked with Hamilton on the power unit side of things at Mercedes from 2019 to 2024, so he’s familiar with the Brit (and operated in a department that will be crucial this year). Better yet, they’re said to have a very good relationship—check, check, check.
Interestingly, if this move did materialize, it would be a near carbon copy of what happened to Leclerc. Frustrated with race engineer Xavi Marco, the Monegasque gave him the boot. Marco has since ended up at Cadillac, with Leclerc bringing in his performance engineer, Bozzi.
Heading to the Barcelona test, all signs seemed to be pointing to an internal appointment. But the consensus has now shifted to an external candidate: Cedric Michel-Grosjean.
Cedric Michel-Grosjean (new favourite)
Michel-Grosjean (no relation to his crash-happy namesake) is now widely tipped to be Adami’s successor. The Frenchman (middle of above photo) was McLaren’s lead trackside performance engineer, but Ferrari convinced him to jump ship last year. Reportedly on gardening leave before linking up with the Scuderia, Michel-Grosjean is said to have worked effectively with Oscar Piastri at McLaren.
It would be a major promotion, but there’s a precedent for this kind of move—and Piastri took a big step forward last year, before the wheels fell off his title charge in Baku, at least. The timelines also line up. If Santi and Bozzi can act as caretakers until the end of Michel-Grosjean’s gardening leave, Ferrari will have all the pieces in place to make the change relatively smoothly.
Of course, nothing has been confirmed. But Ferrari may be about to pull off a dramatic swoop for one of McLaren’s finest, which could determine the outcome of Lewis Hamilton’s season. (Quotes by SkySports)Who should Lewis Hamilton pick as his new race engineer at Ferrari?