Lewis Hamilton has had a tough first year at Ferrari

A significant shift has emerged in Formula One’s technical ranks as Riccardo Corte departs Ferrari after more than a decade to take up a position with Grove Racing in Australia’s V8 Supercars series.

The Italian engineer, who served as Lewis Hamilton’s performance specialist during the British driver’s challenging inaugural Ferrari campaign, will assume race engineering duties for newcomer Kai Allen when the 2026 season commences.

This surprising career pivot marks the end of Corte’s 11-season tenure at Maranello, where he fulfilled various technical positions including driver development responsibilities for Charles Leclerc and performance engineering duties for Carlos Sainz.

His transition to the Australian touring car championship represents an unusual trajectory for a Formula One engineer of his calibre and experience.

Lewis Hamilton’s close ally Riccardo Sorte has left Formula One to join V8 Supercars

Corte’s Ferrari journey encompassed multiple technical positions throughout his lengthy stint with the Scuderia.

Initially serving as a driver development specialist for Charles Leclerc, he subsequently transitioned to performance engineering responsibilities with Carlos Sainz.

When Hamilton arrived at Ferrari following his high-profile departure from Mercedes, Corte assumed the crucial task of helping the seven-time champion adapt to his new environment.

This partnership proved short-lived, however, as the Italian was reassigned to a development position following the Belgian Grand Prix during the summer break.

It comes during a hectic time for Hamilton, who could leave Ferrari as early as next year.

His contract is set to expire in 2025, just a year after signing for Scuderia

Lewis Hamilton’s contract expires next year at Ferrari and he could be axed

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His decision to depart Formula One entirely for the Australian touring car series represents a dramatic career change.

The engineer will work alongside rookie driver Kai Allen at Grove Racing, bringing his extensive Formula One expertise to the Supercars paddock for the upcoming 2026 campaign.

Upon confirming his appointment, Corte expressed enthusiasm about the transition.

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

“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.”

The engineer highlighted his eagerness to apply his Formula One knowledge in a new environment.

“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.”

Stephen Grove, the team’s proprietor, welcomed the appointment as a significant advancement. “Riccardo’s appointment represents another major step forward for Grove Racing,” Grove remarked. “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.”

Grove Racing has transformed significantly since current management assumed control in 2021.

The team secured a dramatic last-lap victory at this year’s prestigious Bathurst 1000 and achieved second place in the Teams’ Championship, finishing behind Triple Eight Race Engineering led by Broc Feeney.

Lewis Hamilton has yet to secure a podium finish since moving to Ferrari

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Meanwhile, Hamilton’s Ferrari tenure has proved challenging, with the veteran driver yet to secure a podium position across 20 races for the Italian team.

The Briton currently sits 64 points behind teammate Leclerc, who claimed his seventh podium of 2025 at the recent Mexican Grand Prix.

Addressing his difficult start, Hamilton told Ferrari Magazine: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”