Lewis Hamilton’s performance engineer has announced that he is leaving Maranello and F1 in a statement.

On Friday afternoon, the Formula One season gets back underway as the grid compete in Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Fans of Ferrari star Hamilton will be hoping that, given his impressive performances in Brazil in the past, he may finally be able to get a podium finish for the first time this season.

Since joining Ferrari at the start of the season, Hamilton has failed to reach the heights that many expected he would, with his best finish being P4 at the Austrian Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix, and the US Grand Prix.

But the seven-time world champion has been dealt a major blow as his performance engineer, Riccardo Corte, has released a statement confirming he is leaving F1.

Lewis Hamilton’s performance engineer has left Ferrari. (Image: Kym Illman/Getty Images)

Corte has spent the last 11 seasons working for Ferrari’s F1 team, first as a driver coach for Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc before taking over the performance engineer role with former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.

After Sainz was dismissed at the end of the 2024 season, with Hamilton coming in as his replacement, Corte assumed the same role with the Brit, helping the 40-year-old get accustomed to life with his new team.

However, after the Belgian Grand Prix in July, Corte was moved into a lesser development role and he has now confirmed that he has left the team altogether to join the Supercars series as a race engineer for rookie Kai Allen in 2026.

“I’m really proud to be joining Grove Racing at such an exciting time for the team,” Corte said in a statement announcing the move.

“The progress they’ve made in recent seasons is impressive, and the Bathurst 1000 win shows what’s possible with the right people and mindset.

“After 11 years at Ferrari F1, I’m looking forward to bringing that experience into Supercars, helping the team keep pushing forward and maximising every opportunity on track.”

Corte will now work with Kai Allen at Grove Racing. (Image: Stephen Blackberry/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Grove Racing finished second in the Teams’ Championship last year and recently won the won the famous Bathurst 1000 race on the final lap.

Since being taken over by the current owners in 2021, Grove has seen significant progress, something that team owner Stephen Grove believes they can continue to do with Corte.

Grove explained: “Riccardo’s appointment represents another major step forward for Grove Racing.

“His 11 years of experience at Ferrari F1 and his work as Lewis Hamilton’s performance engineer earlier this year bring incredible depth and understanding to our program. We’re proud to welcome him to the team, and it speaks to the calibre of people we have at Grove Racing.”

Featured Image Credit: Getty

 

Ferrari ‘Make Decision’ on Lewis Hamilton’s Contract Ahead of Brazilian GP
The seven-time F1 championship winner’s future at the Italian manufacturer is uncertain.

Senior figures at Ferrari have reportedly made up their minds in relation to Lewis Hamilton’s contract after the Englishman’s disappointing first season with The Scuderia.

When Hamilton left Mercedes for Ferrari ahead of the 2025 F1 campaign, his move was met with excitement from members of the F1 community, including fans and the media.

However, at least so far, his time with the Italian manufacturer has not gone anywhere near as well as the seven-time F1 champion would’ve liked, as he is currently sixth in the standings on 146 points ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, having failed to win a race or achieve a single podium.

The Englishman claimed victory in the first Sprint of the 2025 campaign at the Chinese Grand Prix in March.

Still, his “dream” of driving for Ferrari has been more like a nightmare so far.

Lewis Hamilton at the Mexican Grand Prix (Credit:Getty)

As things stand, a three-way battle for F1 glory is on heading into the final four races – in Brazil, Las Vegas, Doha and Abu Dhabi – of the season, with McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, as well as defending champion Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, all vying for the championship.

Just 36 points separate Norris in first (357 points), Piastri in second (356) and Verstappen in third (321), while Mercedes driver George Russell (258) and Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc (210) make up the top five.

Hamilton did show signs of improvement at the Mexican Grand Prix as he took third in qualifying but was hit with a 10-second penalty when competing with Verstappen before eventually finishing eighth after cutting across Turn 4.

ESPN have since reported that ‘senior paddock figures’ have suggested that the seven-time F1 champion will not be offered another Ferrari contract once his current deal expires following the 2026 campaign – although this has not been confirmed by the team or Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton’s future is uncertain (Credit:Getty)

Effectively, this would make Hamilton a free agent ahead of the 2027 campaign.

Sky Sports then reported that British driver Oliver Bearman, who finished fourth for Haas in Mexico on Sunday, should get the next available seat at Ferrari.

The 20-year-old was signed to the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2021 but was loaned to Haas on a multi-year deal ahead of the current season.

“The moment that there’s a seat at Ferrari for whatever reason, then Bearman should be in it as far as I’m concerned,” Sky Sports reporter Martin Brundle said after watching Bearman in Mexico City.

“I think he’s outstanding and he’s learning fast, and he’s making the most of his opportunity.”

Featured Image Credit: Getty

 

Ferrari team principal Fred Vassuer is a “very, very” big fan of a driver who is widely regarded as the natural successor to Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton’s future at Ferrari remains uncertain. Ahead of the 2025 season, all eyes were on the seven-time world champion’s high-profile transfer from Mercedes after the Brit signed a multi-year deal.

The 40-year-old and fellow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc were expected to challenge for wins and podiums, but the SF-25 car has proved to be problematic. In fact, Leclerc is currently fifth in the 2025 standings with 210 points, 64 points ahead of sixth-placed Hamilton.

After the Mexican Grand Prix, a report from ESPN claimed several senior paddock figures have suggested Hamilton will not be offered another contract when his expires at the end of 2026 given his performances.

“That seems a premature prediction,” the report added. “But what is clear is that something has not clicked between the British driver and Italian team this year, even if his outright pace relative to Leclerc has not been quite as bad as some naysayers have suggested.”

Hamilton remains the only Ferrari driver to win this season, but he has struggled for podium finishes. Image credit: Getty

So, who could potentially replace Hamilton if he did leave Ferrari? Dutch commentator Nelson Valkenburg spoke about Ollie Bearman’s chances of joining Ferrari on The Race F1 Podcast.

Bearman, 20, currently drives for Haas and impressed many during the race in Mexico, including Fred Vasseur.

“It depends on how long he has to wait, because an awful lot can go wrong in the meantime,” said Valkenberg. “But he did prove a lot to a lot of the naysayers and it proved a lot, I think, to Ferrari. It’s clear that Fred Vasseur is very, very much on his side.

“And timing-wise, it couldn’t have come better, because this season, a real rookie season, he’s shown speed, but he’s been a little erratic. And this was such a measured performance that it came at the right time.”

What has Ollie Bearman said about driving for Ferrari?

Last year, Bearman was quizzed on potentially driving for Ferrari in the future.

“I hope so. I mean, that would be the dream, right?” he said. “It’s not really in my hands. I feel like but all I can do is perform my best, and that’s my goal. Everything that comes after that is not really within my control.”

He added: “I’m focusing on my future with Haas at the moment, and I’m really excited to get started.”

Oliver Bearman celebrates getting the fourth position during the Mexico Grand Prix. Image credit: Getty

Martin Brundle, meanwhile, has tipped the young British driver to get the nod at Ferrari should a seat become available.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, he said: “If you give that young man an opportunity, he’ll grab it, like he did in Saudi with the Ferrari drive. He kept his head under a lot of pressure, especially in the closing stages with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren behind him.”

“He put a move on Max (Verstappen), made it stick, didn’t go four wheels off the road, just. The moment that there’s a seat at Ferrari for whatever reason, then Bearman should be in it as far as I’m concerned,” added Brundle.

“I think he’s outstanding and he’s learning fast, and he’s making the most of his opportunity.”