Lewis Hamilton has found his engineer. After a rocky first season at Ferrari, the seven-time world champion is finally talking about Lewis Hamilton Carlo Santi in the same breath as one of motorsport’s most iconic partnerships — his legendary bond with long-time Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington. And if Sunday’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix is anything to go by, the timing could not be better.
Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi Build a Bond to Rival the Bonnington Era
Hamilton sealed his first race victory in Ferrari red at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, executing a sharp three-stop strategy to overhaul the dominant Mercedes drivers. It is his third podium finish in succession — following back-to-back second-place results — and suddenly the title conversation around Hamilton feels very real indeed.
Central to that resurgence is Santi, 52, who stepped into the race engineer role ahead of the 2026 season after Riccardo Adami departed Ferrari in January. Adami had engineered Hamilton throughout 2025, but the relationship never clicked — cringeworthy team radio exchanges made that painfully obvious to anyone watching. Santi, who previously served as a performance and race engineer for Kimi Raikkonen before moving into a factory-based role, was initially named as an interim replacement during pre-season testing. He has since made the seat his own.
Speaking on BBC Sport after the podium celebrations, Hamilton was candid about just how much Santi means to him. “Him kind of substituting this year, jumping in and diving in deep with me — we didn’t know each other, we’d never spoken and I didn’t know anything about him. We met and I think got on straight away.”
Furthermore, Hamilton acknowledged the emotional weight of rebuilding that engineer chemistry after losing it. “I had it for such a long time and then you kind of lose that feeling because Bono’s now doing it with Kimi [Antonelli]. It’s really great to be able to share that experience with him on that stage.”
Ferrari’s First Win Since October 2024 — But Fred Vasseur Keeps It Collective
Despite the warmth radiating from Hamilton’s words, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was quick to spread the credit. “I don’t want to put Carlo in front or whatever,” Vasseur said. “The fit between Carlo and Lewis is a good one, but if we are getting results, it’s because collectively we are doing a good job.” Fair point — but nobody in the paddock is ignoring the chemistry at the heart of it.
Notably, this marks Ferrari’s first victory since October 2024, and Hamilton believes he has done more than just win a race — he reckons he has reignited something in Santi too. “I like to think that this has probably reignited the love that he has as being an engineer as he has done for me as a driver.”
For the full race breakdown and championship standings, head over to the official Formula 1 website. The Scuderia is back. Hamilton is hungry. And Santi is the quiet force making it all tick.