F1: Lewis Hamilton hires former Mercedes engineer to improve performance at Ferrari

The Scuderia Ferrari continues its strategy of recruiting former key members of Mercedes F1. After bringing in Jérôme d'Ambrosio, Loïc Serra and even Angela Cullen, former personal coach to Lewis HamiltonThe Italian team now welcomes Luca Diella, an engineer whom the seven-time world champion knows well.

Luca Diella, a profile Hamilton knows well

At the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix, where Hamilton finished 7th after starting from the pit lane, the Brit revealed that a change of engineer had been made in his team. The name behind the move is Luca Diella, former on-track performance engineer at Mercedes, with whom Hamilton had already worked for several seasons.

According toAutoRacerDiella, who had already been working alongside Hamilton since the Silverstone Grand Prix, joined Ferrari in February 2025. He first joined the Maranello test team, before more recently taking on the role of Performance Engineer dedicated to Hamilton's SF-25.

At Mercedes, Luca Diella was performance engineer for Lewis Hamilton's #44 car between 2019 and 2025. In particular, he worked on optimizing power units and developing software to extract maximum performance from the engine during races.

This profile is invaluable for Ferrari, especially as Hamilton is still finding it difficult to adapt to the SF-25, particularly when braking and managing the Ferrari engine. Diella's presence will help the Englishman integrate into the Maranello environment, bridging the gap between his habits at Mercedes and Italian methods.

"It's never easy to work with a new engineer in the middle of the season, but Luca is someone I've known for a long time. We've already got a good dynamic and the progress on the car showed that from Spa onwards," confided Hamilton.

Ferrari-Hamilton strategy to speed up adaptation

This arrival is part of a global strategy led by Frédéric Vasseur and Jérôme d'Ambrosio to give Hamilton his trusted team within Ferrari. After focusing on technical developments (such as the new rear suspension introduced at Spa) and specific set-ups (such as the new brake pads already tested by Charles Leclerc), the Italian team is strengthening the British driver's entourage.

Luca Diella plays a crucial role in this construction. With his intimate knowledge of Hamilton's expectations and the subtleties of engine management, he can help him to overcome his weak points while getting the best out of the SF-25.