Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok believes that "miscommunication" between Lewis Hamilton and race engineer Riccardo Adami added to the Brit's struggles at Ferrari.

The seven-time World Champion missed out on a Grand Prix podium for the first time in his 19-year Formula 1 career in a dismal debut season at the Italian team after moving from Mercedes.

Several issues hindered the 40-year-old in a troubled year, but communication struggles with Adami cropped up throughout the campaign and created a severe stumbling block.

It comes after Hamilton moved away from Mercedes and engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington, with whom Hamilton had a great working relationship. That loss of partnership and communication between the driver and engineer was something Chadhok was quick to point to as the reason for the Brit's struggles.

Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, clashed several times throughout the 2025 season - Photo: Race Pictures

“I just think that is one of the points of the season. Rewind all the way back to Melbourne, and there were so many points of miscommunication," the 41-year-old explained on The Fast and Curious podcast.

“Don’t forget, Lewis has come off the back of an incredibly successful time with Bono, and that relationship between driver and engineer is massively important. They can almost read your mind.

“Mercedes are the gold standard. They’re concise, they’re precise, they give the drivers the right bits of information.

“Lewis has gone from that to Ferrari, where there are cultural and language differences, and he’s not been able to make it work."

Read also

Hamilton's disastrous season at Ferrari hurts Verstappen a great deal

Hamilton faces Ferrari's axe, as Bearman threat looms, F1 insider says

Hamilton fails to keep his promise for Formula 1 winter break

More team radio advice for Hamilton

Chandhok is not the first ex-driver to have his say on the relationship between Hamilton and Adami, with former Ferrari man Rubens Barrichello saying it is "something you solve behind closed doors".

A catalyst in the relationship between the pair is something that needs to happen quickly, according to Chadhok.

“I think there’s a wider thing around how they all communicate. I do think, and maybe they are doing this, but if I were in Lewis’ position, I would go after every race and listen back to how George communicates with Marcus Dudley, for example," continued the former HRT driver.

Lewis Hamilton could only finish P6 in the drivers' standings at the end of 2025, sitting on just 156 points - Photo: RacePictures

“Just go and say, ‘This is how I’d like you to talk to me.’ I think it’s about knowing your personality. Like, ‘GP’ [Lambiase] and Max [Verstappen], for example; GP puts him in place pretty quickly. It’s not polite chat there, but that’s their relationship; they’re like brothers.

“Lewis has got to find his own equation, but I think there are things you can do to fast-track that," concluded the 41-year-old.

GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.