Ferrari is preparing to make a significant change on the pit wall as the season enters a new phase, with the arrival of Frenchman Cedric Michel-Grosjean as reinforcement in Miami.
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Since the beginning of the year, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been working with Carlo Santi on an interim basis, after the reassignment of Riccardo Adami to the Ferrari Driver Academy during the winter.
Santi, who notably collaborated with Kimi Räikkönen, fulfilled his role solidly and even contributed to Hamilton’s first podium with the Scuderia this season, but Ferrari had anticipated the necessity of a stable long-term technical partnership.
Already in the garage
In this context, Michel-Grosjean has emerged as the ideal candidate, notably thanks to his work at McLaren where he played a key role in the progression of Oscar Piastri. His integration has been gradual, with a presence already visible in the Ferrari garage during the last races.
This change does not reflect dissatisfaction with Santi, but is part of a strategic approach aimed at strengthening the technical structure around Hamilton and optimizing communication and decision-making during races.
During the opening rounds of the season, notably in Australia, China, and Japan, Michel-Grosjean deliberately adopted an observational role to study Hamilton’s driving style, preferences, and radio communication habits in depth, while familiarizing himself with Ferrari’s internal procedures.
Delayed debut
Initially, his start was planned for earlier in the season, possibly around Bahrain, but calendar adjustments ultimately provided more preparation time, notably at the Maranello factory, which should facilitate the operational transition in Miami.
On the sporting side, despite a difficult race at Suzuka finishing in sixth place, Hamilton is having a solid start to the season with 41 points and fourth position in the championship. He notably mentioned power deployment issues that affected his performance in Japan, but his overall level remains competitive.
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The arrival of a new race engineer could provide a new momentum in a phase of the championship where every detail counts.
Direct language
The radio exchanges observed during the Japanese Grand Prix highlighted Hamilton’s extreme demands regarding communication. His messages, sometimes perceived as abrupt, primarily reflect a constant search for precision, with very specific requests regarding time losses, car behavior corner by corner, and track conditions, including under safety car conditions.
This requires the race engineer to have the ability to quickly analyze a large amount of data and provide immediately actionable information. For Michel-Grosjean, the challenge will be to adapt quickly to this level of demand and build a fluid and intuitive relationship with such an experienced driver.
An alchemy to establish
This new partnership could represent a significant lever for Ferrari in the second half of the season. Hamilton’s experience and race reading, combined with Michel-Grosjean’s structuring and analytical capacity, could improve the quality of strategic decisions and setups, especially on complex circuits like Miami.
The Italian team has already shown interesting potential this year, and better cohesion on the pit wall could allow opportunities to be transformed into concrete results.
The Miami Grand Prix will thus constitute a full-scale test for this new organization, in an often unpredictable and demanding environment. This evolution is part of the broader dynamic driven by Frédéric Vasseur, with the goal of building a stable and high-performing structure capable of aiming for victories and establishing a long-term presence in the championship fight.
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