Lewis Hamilton Gets a New Race Engineer for F1 2026: Michelle-Grosjean Replaces Carlo Santi

Lewis Hamilton is set to have a new race engineer for the F1 2026 season, with Michelle-Grosjean taking over from Carlo Santi. This change comes after Hamilton struggled to find his footing with Ferrari, despite his impressive resume and skills on the track.

Hamilton began his time at Ferrari with a difficult season in 2025, failing to win or even reach the podium. One of the challenges he faced was adapting to the new car, as well as working with a new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, who previously worked with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz at Ferrari.

However, Hamilton and Adami didn't quite click, and their communication issues on the radio during races became apparent. As a result, Adami was reassigned to a different role within Ferrari's academy program.

Bryan Bozzi, Charles Leclerc's former race engineer, temporarily filled in for Adami, and later, Carlo Santi took over. Santi, who previously worked with Kimi Raikkonen, helped Hamilton secure his first podium with Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Despite this progress, Ferrari's Team Principal, Fred Vasseur, has made another change, replacing Santi with Michelle-Grosjean, who previously worked with Oscar Piastri at McLaren. Santi will remain part of Hamilton's pitwall team, assisting Grosjean.

Hamilton is hoping that this new partnership will bring stability and success, allowing him to focus on his driving and build a strong working relationship with his new race engineer.

In the first three races of the season, Hamilton has been a highlight, particularly during his intense duel with Leclerc. As the season progresses, Ferrari is working to develop the SF26 and close the gap with Mercedes, the current dominant team.

Hamilton has been preparing for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix, including a special test session at the Fiorano Circuit in Italy, where he completed 297 laps over two days, covering a total distance of 884 km.