Ross Brawn is adamant that Formula 1 could see a \u201cvintage Lewis Hamilton this season, but that the Briton needs things to \u201cgel\u201d at Ferrari for that to happen.<\/p>\n
Hamilton joined Ferrari last season after 12 years with Mercedes and, in doing so, said farewell to long-term race engineer, Peter \u2018Bono\u2019 Bonnington and instead teamed up with Italian engineer Riccardo Adami.<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton needs to \u201cgel\u201d<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n It was just one of the sweeping changes the Briton had to adjust to in his first season at Maranello. But it is one that headlines.<\/p>\n Although language, culture, engine braking, car design, philosophy, etc, were all new to Hamilton<\/a>, none caught the public\u2019s attention as much as his relationship with Adami.<\/p>\n It just didn\u2019t gel.<\/p>\n Almost from the get-go, their testy radio exchanges hinted at a relationship that, as PlanetF1.com\u2019s Oliver Harden put it, was \u201cunsalvageable\u201d.<\/p>\n The two butted heads several times, with Adami not seeming to appreciate the driver\u2019s tone and Hamilton not happy with the instructions he was receiving over the radio.<\/p>\n Such was the dynamic, Ferrari made the call ahead of the new season to move Adami to a different role<\/a> and hand Hamilton a new race engineer.<\/p>\n But as yet unnamed, it is understood that Charles Leclerc\u2019s race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, will be working with both Ferrari drivers during the first pre-season shakedown test in Barcelona next week.<\/p>\n Time, though, is fast running out for Ferrari to find the right engineer for Hamilton before the new season begins in Melbourne on March 8.<\/p>\n And it needs to be the right person as former F1 team boss Brawn believes Hamilton is a driver who needs things to gel for him in order to bring out his best.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019d all love for him to be successful,\u201d Brawn told Sky Sports News at the Autosport Awards.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a special place for Ferrari; I\u2019ve been there 10 years. I know how tough it is there.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s always a fine line between a team gelling and not quite gelling, and it didn\u2019t quite gel last year.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton also struggled with the recent ground-effect aerodynamic cars, the 105-time grand prix winner adding just two victories since 2022\u2019s regulation change.<\/p>\n This season, though, the sport is introducing all-new cars and engines which Brawn believes could see \u201cvintage\u201d Hamilton come to the fore.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he gets some incentives and if he sees there\u2019s an opportunity, I think we\u2019ll see a vintage Lewis,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I\u2019m hoping that happens.\u201d<\/p>\n More on F1 engines<\/p>\n F1 2026 uncovered: How Boost, Overtake, and sustainable fuel change the game<\/a><\/p>\n Explained: How F1\u2019s new \u2018overtaking mode\u2019 will work in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton tipped to thrive with all-new F1 2026 cars<\/p>\n This season, it has been said the drivers will play a bigger role than in recent years.<\/p>\n Not only do the cars feature active aerodynamics with moveable front and rear wings, but the engines will run on a 50\/50 split between electrical and combustion power and will incorporate two aids; overtake mode and boost.<\/p>\n While overtake mode, which replaces DRS, is designed to give the cars a power boost when they are within a second of the car ahead at certain places on the grid, boost will give a driver a power boost at any given point.<\/p>\n Drivers will have to learn how to use the active aerodynamics for the best entry and cornering speed as well as straight-line speed, while also adjusting to the two different power boosts.<\/p>\n It will be a huge adjustment for the drivers, but whether it will suit Hamilton, time will tell.<\/p>\n His former team principal Toto Wolff believes so, saying: \u201cThere are brand new cars which are completely different to drive. New power units which need an intelligent way of managing the energy.<\/p>\n \u201cNext year,\u201d he said of F1 2026, \u201cis an important one.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n