Lewis Hamilton loses again as key Ferrari figure makes unexpected F1 exit

A key Ferrari performance engineer from Lewis Hamilton’s side of the garage has left F1 for the Supercars Championship in Australia.

According to news.com.au, Ferrari engineer Riccardo Corte will leave the world of F1 behind after 11 years and will work with V8 rookie Kai Allen at Grove Racing in Supercars.

Corte took on a variety of roles at Ferrari, starting out as a power unit control strategy and simulation engineer, going on to work as Charles Leclerc’s driver coach before becoming Carlos Sainz’s performance engineer prior to his switch to Williams.

His most recent appointment in 2025 saw him work alongside the seven-time world champion who replaced Sainz before shifting into a development role, with Corte initially tasked with helping Hamilton to get to grips with his new cockpit after spending 12 seasons at Mercedes.

However, just a few months into his new role, Corte’s exit from Hamilton’s team and F1 as a whole has been confirmed, in yet another blow to the champion who has been struggling to adapt with the Scuderia all season long.

Corte will instead approach a challenge altogether more different with a move to Australia. The Supercars Championship is an FIA sanctioned series and a touring car racing category that is based in Australia and New Zealand, running with V8 supercars.

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

“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 eleven 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.”

Ferrari engineer goes Down Under

According to Grove Racing team owner, Stephen Grove, it was his son and team CEO Brenton Grove who convinced Corte to leave Maranello behind and become Allen’s race engineer instead.

“We have some contacts through other engineers that work in Formula 1 and we went through those contacts and ended up getting in touch with Riccardo,” Grove explained.

“We discussed what coming to Australia to work on a Supercar might involve. He was very interested in the challenge of working on a car with all the differences from engines to aerodynamics, and he was keen to see the things we do.

“The guys (engineers) here in Australia are unbelievably skilled. But you also need to look beyond Australia to explore other opportunities and people who have worked at the top of our sport. And Formula 1 is the pinnacle.”

The Bathurst 1000, known as The Great Race, is held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst over 1,000km and is considered by many to be one of the world’s most challenging racing circuits, with a win at Bathurst akin to a Daytona 500 victory in NASCAR or the Indy 500.

Grove Racing earnt their first Bathurst 1000 win this year with Matt Payne and Garth Tander after claiming the lead during the closing stages in the wet.

The signing of a Ferrari F1 engineer, especially one who has worked alongside a legend like Hamilton, is a statement of intent on the team’s behalf.

Grove continued: “We are definitely not here to make up the numbers.”

“We took the team over four years ago and our strategy was always to try and get to the front of Supercars, and we’ve been working super hard to do that.

“We won’t be satisfied with just one Bathurst win. We want to win not only Bathurst again but also aim for the team and driver’s championships.

“We recognise there’s still plenty of hard work ahead, but we’re all determined to put in the hard work.”

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