Lewis Hamilton loses another key Ferrari ally after splitting from close partner | F1 | Sport

Lewis Hamilton has reportedly lost the services of Ella, his press officer at Ferrari, just one year after she was hired via the seven-time world champion’s Mission 44 programme. The change comes after the 41-year-old’s split from close friend Marc Hynes.

On Monday, the Daily Mail reported that Hamilton and Hynes have split, with the 47-year-old Brit taking on a role within the new Cadillac F1 squad. He was previously the chief executive of the Project 44 management company from 2015 to 2021, and was brought back to his entourage for the 2025 season as the manager of his racing logistics at Ferrari.

Then, there are the changes to his inner circle. According to a report from The Times, press officer Ella, who joined Ferrari alongside Hamilton last season, has exited the team. This follows the news that long-serving head of PR and media, Sylvia Hoffer Frangipane, had stepped down after the 2025 campaign.

This has been an off-season of change for the seven-time world champion. As well as adapting to the new generation of cars – a shift that Hamilton called the most significant of his 19-year career – the Stevenage-born driver will have to work with a new race engineer after Riccardo Adami was shuffled into a new role in the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Bryan Bozzi, who ordinarily serves as Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, worked on both Ferrari cars during the first pre-season test in Montmelo, with Cedric Michel-Grosjean expected to arrive from McLaren as Hamilton’s new right-hand man before the start of the new season in Melbourne next month.

While the changes may look daunting, Hamilton is excited about the new F1 cars. The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive,” he said after the first test. “It’s oversteery and snappy and sliding, but it’s a little bit easier to catch, and I would definitely say more enjoyable.”

Despite the successful first test, Hamilton isn’t getting carried away. “I mean, we’re under no illusions,” he continued. “We know we’ve got work to do. Mercedes have done great running as well.

“I think Red Bull and Haas did some great running as well, so we don’t really know where we are, but I think it’s a solid first week, and we can really build from here. So there may be some big leaps that we’re going to need to take. Development’s going to be key.

“Just really making sure we leave no stone unturned and we’re just really clear and concise with our communication and the decisions we take. It’s going to take all of us to be at our best. I’m just seeing that everyone’s really coming with new energy this year, which is great.”