Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton is reportedly set to begin a new chapter with a different race engineer starting from the Miami Grand Prix, marking another key shift in his evolving journey with Scuderia Ferrari.
After a challenging debut season in 2025, Hamilton has shown clear improvement in his second year with Ferrari. The British driver has already secured a podium finish and currently sits fourth in the drivers’ standings, signaling a much stronger adaptation to his new environment. Last season, however, proved difficult, as Hamilton struggled for consistency and ultimately finished well behind teammate Charles Leclerc, who outscored him by a significant margin.
A major change came ahead of the 2026 campaign when Hamilton parted ways with his long-time race engineer Riccardo Adami. The split followed a frustrating season in which communication and performance issues were evident. In the interim, Ferrari placed Carlo Santi, the team’s head of remote engineering, in the role on a temporary basis while they searched for a permanent solution.
According to reports, Ferrari have now finalized that decision. French engineer Cedric Michel-Grosjean is expected to officially take over as Hamilton’s race engineer beginning at the Miami Grand Prix weekend, which starts on May 1. The appointment comes during an unusual five-week gap in the F1 calendar caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.
Michel-Grosjean brings significant experience to the role, having spent nearly a decade with McLaren in various engineering positions. During his time there, he progressed through several roles before becoming a key figure on the performance side of the team. He worked closely with rising star Oscar Piastri, eventually stepping into the role of lead trackside performance engineer in 2025.
In that position, Michel-Grosjean played an important part in optimizing car performance and supporting driver development throughout race weekends and testing sessions. Notably, he contributed to Piastri’s impressive 2025 campaign, which included seven Grand Prix victories and helped McLaren secure back-to-back constructors’ championships.
His move to Ferrari follows speculation triggered by a “career break” announcement on LinkedIn, which is believed to have been a period of gardening leave after departing McLaren at the end of the 2025 season.
With this new partnership, Ferrari will be hoping that the combination of Hamilton’s experience and Michel-Grosjean’s technical expertise can further boost their competitiveness as the 2026 season progresses.