By Nora Korp
Sir Lewis Hamilton is moving to Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season. We’re almost halfway through the 2025 season, so it’s no longer news; it’s already completely normal. And yet, it’s still one of the main topics of conversation. The communication between the seven-time world champion and his new race engineer doesn’t seem to be on the same page yet.
At first, it looks simple: miscommunication under high-pressure situations. But dig a little deeper, and it’s clear that it’s not about what is said, but how. Hamilton, a British driver known for his composed yet emotionally nuanced communication style, often relies on in directness and sarcasm – cultural traits deeply embedded in British English. Adami, on the other hand, is Italian and an engineer. His style is more direct, data-driven, and task-focused.
The result? Two professionals trying to work together but speaking different cultural dialects of the same language. The communication was not on the same wavelength from the beginning, but one of the worst moments was the Miami Grand Prix: Hamilton, who was trapped behind his teammate and burned through his tyres, asked: “You want me to just sit here so for the whole race?” When no
immediate solution was presented, Hamilton replied: “Ahh you guys, uh this is not good teamwork. That’s all I gotta say. In China I got out the way when you’re on a different strategy.”
And only then, they finally decided to swap the cars, but Hamilton still added, “I’ll have a tea break while you’re at it.” What sounded like light sarcasm to a British ear may have been missed or deliberately ignored by the receiver.
Another great example of this problem was the Monaco Grand Prix – here, the
miscommunication and disconnect deepened the longer the race went on. Adami provided Hamilton with information, he thought was useless. Every time Hamilton sought information
on the whereabouts of the other drivers, he was presented with data-heavy updates that lacked the answers to his questions: “Yeah mate, just been a little bit lost out here, just you know, good.
It’s very sporadic your info.”
At the end, Hamilton’s eventual question, “Are you upset with me or something?”, wasn’t about any strategy. It was a human moment, revealing how emotional tone, silence, and cultural framing shape understanding, especially under stress.
This isn’t about assigning blame. It’s about recognizing that communication is culturally coded.
Just because both parties speak English doesn’t mean they interpret meaning the same way. In high-stakes environments like F1, where every word must count, misunderstanding nuance can
be as costly as a slow pit stop. But what can be done? How can the frustration of the team and also the fans be stopped? Maybe communication training for cultural awareness is one solution.
Or simulating race scenarios in the driver simulator, with full engineer interaction.
Anyhow, Formula 1 is not only about technique and strategy, but also about trust, and knowing each other – it’s about people. Communication is vital, and if it doesn’t work, then not even the
fastest driver can win.
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