Lewis Hamilton made his Ferrari debut at the Australian Grand Prix without Riccardo Adami, and fans are already noticing a difference in his 2026 season opener.
Last year was a tough one for both Hamilton and Ferrari supporters, with frequent radio clashes highlighting the disconnect between him and Adami. The Italian struggled to provide the right information at crucial moments, making communication between them a persistent issue throughout the campaign.
Going into 2026, Hamilton has made several changes behind the scenes. He’s split from Adami, who has since moved into a role with the Ferrari driver academy. Early signs suggest that fans have already taken notice of how these adjustments might be paying off.
Cedric Grosjean, previously with McLaren, is expected to step in as Hamilton’s new race engineer later in the season. Until then, Carlo Santi – who once worked with Kimi Raikkonen – is filling in on an interim basis.
In their first outing together at Albert Park, Hamilton finished fourth behind teammate Charles Leclerc in third – an encouraging start for Ferrari and a solid day for Santi in particular.
Fans react positively to Lewis Hamilton’s communication during Australian Grand Prix
Santi was on the radio throughout the race, giving Hamilton clear and timely updates. There were a few minor adjustments to be made, but overall, it was a positive debut for the new pairing at Ferrari.
It was only one race, but Santi’s approach already looked like an improvement. That point was underlined by his final message over team radio, where he credited Hamilton for his performance in the second stint.
Hamilton’s debut weekend working with Santi featured several interactions that fans seemed to appreciate. One person posted: “Santi after one race is SO MUCH better than Adami after a whole season.” Another added: “Loving Santi already, such a breath of fresh air!”
“I love that he communicates well,” one user wrote. Another added: “Solid comms, solid stint. It was very good for Lewis’ confidence.”
Another fan kept it simple: “Damn Santi is doing great.” And one even went as far as to say: “Okay I think we can keep Santi for now.”
