Carlo Santi has been a revelation for Lewis Hamilton as his new Ferrari race engineer, with the seven-time champion even referring to him as the ‘Italian Bono’.
Hamilton lauded Santi for reigniting his love for racing after claiming his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona.
What is the BIGGEST reason for Lewis Hamilton’s turnaround at Ferrari this year?
Hamilton called Santi the ‘Italian Bono’ in Barcelona, and he more than proved that he is worthy of that talent.
Lewis Hamilton is now only missing a Grand Prix pole position for Ferrari 🏆 Predict when it will come?
Carlo Santi has been a revelation for Lewis Hamilton as his new Ferrari race engineer, with the seven-time champion even referring to him as the ‘Italian Bono’. He more than proved that in Barcelona.
After leaving Mercedes and a 12-year relationship with race engineer Peter Bonnington, the seven-time champion got a huge culture shock at Ferrari, as he locked horns with new engineer Riccardo Adami almost immediately.
Adami and Hamilton clashed numerous times in 2025, most notably in Australia, Miami and Abu Dhabi. It was obvious that a change was needed for 2026, and that is exactly what Hamilton did – he has since struck gold with Santi.
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Carlo Santi’s radio messages to Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona prove that he is the ‘Italian Bono’
Ferrari signed Cedric Grosjean from McLaren to be Hamilton’s new race engineer in 2026, but that was delayed due to a period of gardening leave. Santi stepped in for the interim, which is still the case now, but the difference between him and Adami is night and day.
Santi, who previously worked with Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari, has provided Hamilton with clear and concise information during races, as well as strong words of encouragement. It has proved a brilliant switch, and the Brit is back to his best.
Hamilton lauded Santi for reigniting his love for racing after claiming his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona. The Italian showed just how important he is to the 41-year-old last weekend with his comms over the radio.
What is the BIGGEST reason for Lewis Hamilton’s turnaround at Ferrari this year? Photo by Dom Gibbons – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Throughout the radio, Santi is heard giving Hamilton the exact amount of information he needs and telling him how good his pace was. On lap 39, he tells him: “This is our race, give everything these seven laps, it’s the critical moment. This is our chance,” after executing a three-stop strategy.
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This is exactly the kind of emotional support that Adami did not understand with Hamilton. It is what made his partnership with Bonnington so successful, and it is no surprise to see Santi being held in the same regard as the Mercedes man.
Hamilton called Santi the ‘Italian Bono’ in Barcelona, and he more than proved that he is worthy of that talent. The emotional support, concise messages and consistent updates are just what the seven-time champion needs in his bid to grab an eighth.
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Photo by James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Jolyon Palmer loved Carlo Santi and Lewis Hamilton’s relationship in Barcelona
Writing in his column for F1.com after the race, Jolyon Palmer was in awe of Hamilton and Santi’s communication in Barcelona, and he highlighted just how important he could be in the title fight, with Hamilton now 41 points behind Kimi Antonelli.
Linked to all of this is the final piece that seems to complete the puzzle for Hamilton’s success and that is his change of race engineer. He had a strained relationship with Riccardo Adami from very early on last year, challenging calls and not understanding what was being asked of him.
The partnership between race engineer and driver is such an important part of success. Hamilton had that with Pete Bonnington for years at Mercedes and now it seems he is forging another successful partnership with Carlo Santi, brought back into the front line by Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton is now only missing a Grand Prix pole position for Ferrari 🏆 Predict when it will come? Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images
What looked to be a temporary plaster now seems a permanent fix and I loved the chatter from Santi to Hamilton on Sunday. You could tell he was excited, you could tell this was a golden chance and he was relaying that through his voice to Hamilton as well, urging his driver on.
When I was driving I felt it was so important to feel the hunger from my race engineer, to feel their desire to succeed is matching yours and you are pulling in the same direction.
This year Hamilton has that again from the pit wall and it was evident from their post race celebrations on the podium.
