[Saba Sports News] During the rainy pre-season tests in Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton, making his debut for Ferrari, was temporarily assigned Bryan Bozzi, the race engineer of his teammate Charles Leclerc. The core reason for this interim arrangement stems from the reshuffle within Hamilton’s engineering team. His original engineer was reassigned due to a lack of collaborative chemistry, and Ferrari has yet to officially announce a permanent replacement.
Coinciding with the major regulatory changes for the 2026 season, Ferrari’s new SF-26 features a highly complex system, and Hamilton’s new engineering team is still in the process of familiarizing themselves with its workflows. As a senior engineer for Leclerc, Bozzi already has a thorough understanding of the new car’s characteristics, and his temporary dual role can quickly fill the transitional gap in Hamilton’s technical support.
This short-term arrangement brings notable benefits: it effectively prevents Hamilton from falling into inefficient team integration due to the engineering vacancy, ensures the testing schedule remains on track, and buys valuable buffer time for the team to finalize a permanent appointment. However, long-term challenges persist. The exclusive rapport between a driver and their engineer takes time to cultivate, and this interim measure means missing the opportunity for early integration. Additionally, the engineer’s divided focus during official races may compromise the precision of strategic decisions, while Leclerc’s personalized technical needs also require dedicated support to be fully met.