Lewis Hamilton has dismissed rumors that his relationship with Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami is strained, calling such claims “just noise.”
Since Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, his radio conversations with Adami have sparked ongoing curiosity. After the Monaco Grand Prix, a clip went viral in which Hamilton, having finished the race, asked over the team radio: “Are you upset with me or something?”
There was no response from Adami, which Ferrari later explained was due to radio interference caused by the track layout around Monaco’s buildings. Hamilton strongly denied any rift between them.
“There’s been a lot of speculation — most of it is nonsense,” Hamilton said ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. “Riccardo and I have a strong relationship. He’s been fantastic to work with and is a great person.”
He acknowledged that, like any working relationship, there can be disagreements but emphasized that they work through them as a team. “We both want to win and are committed to improving the team. The outside noise doesn’t affect us.”
The relationship between a driver and their race engineer is one of the most crucial in Formula 1. When asked directly about the Monaco incident, Hamilton explained there were areas on the circuit where radio communication was spotty. “I didn’t get all the info I needed during the race, but we discussed it afterwards.”
During his 11 years with Mercedes, Hamilton had a close working relationship with his engineer Peter Bonnington, known for the iconic phrase: “OK, Lewis, it’s hammer time.” By contrast, his interactions with Adami, especially during the Miami Grand Prix, have seemed more tense to outside observers.
Still, Hamilton insists there’s no issue. “Our relationship is solid. We’re learning how to work better together as time goes on. Riccardo has experience with many drivers. There are no problems at all.”
