Lewis Hamilton achieved a long-awaited breakthrough by claiming his first victory in Ferrari colors at the recent Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. This success represents a major shift for the seven-time World Champion, who faced significant challenges during his debut season with the Scuderia in 2025. Adapting to the SF-25 car proved difficult, leading to inconsistent performances that marked one of the toughest periods in his illustrious career.

However, Hamilton has since assembled a supportive engineering group that has enabled him to maximize the potential of Ferrari’s 2026 machine, the SF-26. He contributed to the development of this car last year and during the winter months. A central figure in this resurgence is his new race engineer, Carlo Santi. Hamilton has affectionately referred to him as “my Italian Bono,” drawing a parallel to his highly successful collaboration at Mercedes. This partnership has been instrumental in Hamilton’s improved form, helping him secure a win and two second-place finishes in the last three races.

The change has clearly paid dividends. After struggling to find his rhythm initially, Hamilton now appears more comfortable and competitive. The Barcelona triumph not only ended a personal drought but also boosted team morale, demonstrating that the adjustments made behind the scenes are beginning to deliver results on the track. Santi’s calm expertise and deep understanding of Hamilton’s needs have played a vital role in restoring the driver’s confidence and performance levels.

Carlo Santi: A Dedicated Ferrari Veteran

Carlo Santi, aged 52, hails from Verona in northern Italy. He brings more than a decade of experience within the Ferrari Formula 1 team. Santi worked closely with Kimi Raikkonen during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and later served as the Finn’s race engineer in 2018. That year, he celebrated alongside Raikkonen on the podium after the veteran’s final Formula 1 victory at the United States Grand Prix.

Following that success, Santi transitioned into a leadership position at Ferrari. He spent several years contributing from the “remote garage” at the team’s Maranello headquarters, providing crucial support to drivers and race operations from a distance. His journey to this level was not immediate, despite his lifelong passion for the Scuderia.

Santi has shared that joining Ferrari represented his ultimate childhood dream. After earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on land vehicles from the Milan Polytechnic, he pursued a scholarship at the FIAT Research Centre in Turin. He then entered the vehicle dynamics department before moving into racing. Five years after graduation, he joined an endurance racing squad as a performance engineer. Eventually, he arrived at Ferrari as a model engineer for the team’s first driving simulator project.

Over the subsequent 15 years, Santi gained extensive expertise across driving simulation, vehicle dynamics, race engineering, and vehicle performance. In a previous interview with the official Ferrari website, he described the emotional highs and lows of the role: rejoicing in victories while feeling the pain of setbacks. This long-term commitment and broad technical knowledge made him a natural choice when Hamilton sought a fresh engineering dynamic at the start of the current season.

Building a Winning Driver-Engineer Connection

Hamilton’s previous race engineer, Riccardo Adami, had supported him through the challenging 2025 campaign. When announcing the switch earlier this year, Hamilton expressed gratitude for Adami’s efforts and patience during a difficult period for the entire team. Although Santi’s appointment began as a temporary measure, the duo quickly developed a productive and trusting relationship that has exceeded expectations.

Hamilton has frequently compared Santi to Peter “Bono” Bonnington, his long-time race engineer at Mercedes. Together with Bonnington, Hamilton captured six Drivers’ Championships over a decade. Bonnington has since continued his success with Hamilton’s successor at Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton noted that strong driver-engineer partnerships are not guaranteed but can be transformative when the chemistry aligns. He described Santi as his “Italian Bono”—an experienced, calm professional who brings deep knowledge and stability.

In comments ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton highlighted Santi’s seasoned approach: “He’s an older guy that’s been around the block… very calm.” He emphasized the value of their shared engineering understanding and attention to detail. This collaboration allows for precise feedback on car behavior, particularly through-corner balance, entry, mid-corner, and exit phases. Hamilton stressed that truly catering to a driver’s specific requirements takes time to develop, and Santi has adapted effectively.

Following a strong second-place result in Canada last month, Hamilton was effusive in his praise: “He’s absolutely awesome and I’m really loving working with him.” He credited Santi and his number two engineer with helping refine the car setup through data analysis, unlocking additional performance and enabling him to attack corners more confidently. Hamilton also acknowledged the broader support from Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, who has facilitated multiple changes to improve his comfort and effectiveness in the car.

Currently sitting 41 points behind championship leader Antonelli, Hamilton remains motivated. The positive momentum from recent races suggests the partnership with Santi is set to continue, at least in the near term. Their first joint victory in Barcelona marks a promising milestone.

The relationship underscores the critical importance of clear communication and mutual understanding between driver and engineer in Formula 1. Santi’s technical background, combined with his experience supporting top drivers like Raikkonen, equips him well to meet Hamilton’s high standards. As the season advances, fans will watch closely to see if this “Italian Bono” collaboration yields even more successes for Hamilton and Ferrari.

The seven-time champion’s turnaround illustrates how targeted personnel adjustments, alongside technical upgrades, can reshape a driver’s fortunes. With Santi’s steady guidance, Hamilton looks poised to build on the Barcelona success and challenge consistently at the front in the coming races. This partnership not only addresses immediate performance needs but also lays a foundation for sustained competitiveness in one of motorsport’s most demanding environments.