Lewis Hamilton denied he was unhappy about his communication with new race engineer Riccardo Adami during the Australian Grand Prix, despite the appearance given by excerpts played during the race.
He and Adami worked together for the first time during a grand prix last weekend following Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.The excerpts of their radio messages played on the world television feed during the race focused on Adami urging Hamilton to use the K1 engine mode, which the driver was reluctant to do. But those messages were a small fraction of the total communications between the pair, little of which was played on the world feed.
Hamilton appeared bemused by the focus on his radio messages after last weekend’s race. “I don’t know why everyone’s been so negative about it,” he told Sky.
“I was polite. I always said ‘please’ at the end, even when I was racing! And when you look at some of the other drivers who have been super-vocal, almost abusive with their engineers, who have taken batterings for years. Mine didn’t even take a battering.
“There were a couple of individuals that were quite rude on how we spoke. But anyway, it’s just something you learn along the way. So from race to race, we’re going to get stronger together and that’s the most important part.”
Hamilton and Peter Bonnington had the longest-running partnership between a driver and race engineer until the seven-times champion left Mercedes at the end of last season. He said it took time to perfect their communication in the early days.
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“The relationship between Bono and I took years, it took so much time for us to learn each other because he had worked with previous drivers and they require quite a different amount of information,” said Hamilton. “So you just, bit by bit, trial and error, you try different things along the way and eventually you gel.
“Riccardo and I get on super-well and that was our first race together. That was the first time he was having to throw those balls into the cockpit, and we dealt with 90-plus percent of those totally fine.
“Afterwards we just talked and we said ‘hey, this is the bit that I did need and this is the bit that I didn’t need.’ And it’s no problem. Next time we’ll do it differently.”
“Every driver requires different information,” Hamilton added. George [Russell], for example, likes a lot of information, or he used to when I was racing with him. For me, I don’t need or like a lot of information. It can sometimes be overbearing and overloading.”
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2025 Australian Grand Prix
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Moshambles (@moshambles)
20th March 2025, 10:20
Who was being negative? Very standard radio messages. I suppose the feed focused more on Hamilton more, because of all the buzz around his debut at Ferrari.
cdavman (@cdavman)
20th March 2025, 10:42
Yes and assuming the radio transcript on this website is actually correct, then it looks like on the live TV feed they edited some messages together as if they’d happened one after the other, when in fact they occurred several laps apart. To add to the fake drama I suppose, in the name of entertainment…
lucifer (@lucifer)
20th March 2025, 12:30
the media as usual, making a mountain out of a molehill
Doggy
20th March 2025, 12:39
I’ve seen a lot of people taking LH’s interaction with his engineer to places that are questionable. Hence, why Lewis is there to clarify. Not only for his sake, but for Adami that does not have an open microphone
grat
20th March 2025, 13:11
Edvaldo
20th March 2025, 13:54
Unbelievable.
They want disciplinary action because he said “leave to it, please”.
SteveP
20th March 2025, 14:30
Not “they”, more a case of “he” (Ralf)
Ralf has a bit of a beef about LH, CL is collateral damage.
N
20th March 2025, 15:59
The brother of Michael has always had something against Hamilton, for some reason, if you ever see a headline with ‘former driver thinks x about Hamilton’ you can bet you last penny it’s him whinging about Lewis.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
20th March 2025, 23:31
Yeah there is something of a contingent that do not want Hamilton to take another Championship. And some who despise him for taking Michael’s seat right before Wolff and co would benefit massively from the rules change.
BasCB (@bascb)
20th March 2025, 16:55
Yeah, there were some awkward moments, but most of all it was just clear that Hamilton and his engineer are still finding their vibe and tone together.
David BR (@david-br)
20th March 2025, 11:18
I thought Hamilton was almost too civil. Not that he needs to be abusive but the messages showed he clearly hasn’t developed a close working relationship yet and has to be measured in his tone, while with Bono he’d happily mutter a ‘let me drive man’ and be understood. Really don’t get the fuss. The only driver I’ve heard in recent years who overstepped the limit was Tsunoda and he’s learnt. It’s between the driver and the team. Ferrari do need to improve communications with both drivers.
lucifer (@lucifer)
20th March 2025, 12:31
well said
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
20th March 2025, 11:18
Hoping HAM is wiser this race.
The “just leave me to it” attitude followed by the “no one is telling me anything” but will get old really fast. Use the K1 when they ask, you’re a rookie on this team.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
20th March 2025, 11:47
+1
N
20th March 2025, 12:20
“Adami Try to hold the K1, just for practise, I know it’s difficult…”
“Hamilton I’m not close enough. When I get close, I’ll do it.”
“Adami Understood.”
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
20th March 2025, 12:56
-1
An Sionnach
20th March 2025, 12:10
I read the transcript. Sounded fine to me.
tielemst
20th March 2025, 12:50
What bugs me the most is that these questions are being put to him because people on the internet are making up a problem (“he said leave me to it and then blames his mechanic for not knowing the track situation”) where the team and people involved have never even hinted on something like that being the case.
Now the made up problem is stated as a fact and he has to defend himself for it. Utterly ridiculous.
grat
20th March 2025, 13:14
I love how everyone gleefully points out that Hamilton finished behind Albon in the Williams– and conveniently ignores the fact that so did LeClerc. It’s almost like Albon over-performed and Ferrari under-performed.
But no, it’s all about Lewis and his engineer not quite meshing yet.
Edvaldo
20th March 2025, 13:51
There’s an obvious difference between asking for weather information and the engineer coaching him in how to use the battery, something he obviously knows.
I agree, he’s only been asked this because of useless internet talk.
F1statsfan (@f1statsfan)
20th March 2025, 14:05
“Hamilton dismisses ‘negativity’
Well as per usual he blamed everyone except himself for the poor performance in Australia.
If the excuse “still learning the car” has any merit he should listen and follow his race engineer instead of arguing with him and saying “leave me to it”. Drive the car – take in the advice from your race engineer and then ignore or use it but just say OK and accept responsibility of your part in the poor performance
Calling out other drivers communication as a reference is simply deflecting and not relevant at all. And using the word “please” doesn’t compensate for blaming others for your poor performance.
That is what politicians do – smile and be nice in front of you but stab you in the back the first chance they get – better blunt honestly than fake niceness.
Examples:
Adami For the start, we need torque map two, and you are already in torque map two, so we already selected. Stay in torque map two for the start.
Hamilton I’m going to torque map six.
Ignores instruction and does he own thing
Adami Can use K1 to close.
Hamilton Leave me to it, please.
Just gives advise but tells engineer not to bother him
Hamilton Yeah, understeer is most of the issue.
Adami Copy.
Adami We suggest EB3, engine braking three. To avoid the denied DRS, we suggest upshift and then DRS.
Hamilton Please leave it, just leave it.
Calls out an issue – gets advise and again tells engineer not to bother him
Lap 43 Adami In two laps, will be class four, lasting only two laps.
Lap 48 Hamilton Thought you said it wasn’t going to rain much?
Blames engineer for wrong information while he was advised 2 laps of class 4 (extreme rain)
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
20th March 2025, 15:46
He can say whatever afterwards, as they all do. But on the car, he sounded annoyed.
I don’t understand either how a driver of his experience can go to a race in a brand new team (and one so different to what he’s used to) and not kinda sort out what he might or might not want to know.
SteveP
20th March 2025, 15:59
As did Leclerc when he got less than useful responses – the pit wall staff did not have a good day.
SteveP
20th March 2025, 14:41
Well, “as per usual”, the issue was with the car, negatively affecting both drivers.
From reports – an issue with track and wind-tunnel correlation (or lack of) and Ferrari having to run the car with a higher ride height.
Or were you saying that Leclerc’s performance was poor too?
F1statsfan (@f1statsfan)
20th March 2025, 14:52
Yes absolutely – also Leclerc had a below average race – certainly given that he spun the car losing time and positions.
Agree that the Ferrari car itself was less good that expected from winter testing but it was a combination of factors that lead to lower than expected results but for certain both drivers were part of those factors.
“Well, “as per usual”, the issue was with the car”
Funny that like the last 3 years with Mercedes it is always “the car” when performances are bad but it “the driver” when the results are good when it comes to Lewis but with most other drivers (certainly non British drivers) it is the other way around on this forum.
SteveP
20th March 2025, 16:07
You mean, like Russell being a ‘strategy genius’ and ‘brilliant driver’, keeping Hamilton behind at Spa?
With an illegal weight car.
Not so genius, asking for the weight to be taken down so far. Or does that one not fit the British bias narrative?
Win7Golf (@win7golf)
21st March 2025, 4:09
The media is going from bad the worst…
After everything we have listening from Max to his poor engineer…
They are going after Lewis, in his first race with a new engineer, and when he asks for less info, he always end up with a “please”…
Get a grip, guys!
MacLeod (@macleod)
21st March 2025, 8:05
@win7golf Max poor engineer can and will give ‘abuse’ back if Max is going to far AND Max expect this from his engineer to be VERY direct against him.
When that happened a few times last year you noticed Max will be much more civil after those comments from his engineer….