The opening five races of the 2026 Formula 1 season have revealed a far more effective version of Lewis Hamilton compared to last year. While the British driver managed to secure a Sprint pole position and Sprint victory in 2025, his overall performances this season have looked considerably more convincing. The Ferrari SF-26 appears much better suited to his driving style, and the strong weekend in Canada further confirmed the return of his confidence.
The 2025 context: Lewis Hamilton and Riccardo Adami never fully connected
The sporting situation during the previous campaign was simply not worthy of a seven-time Formula 1 world champion. Ferrari’s SF-25 proved to be a car lacking technical identity, unable to challenge the top three teams and generally struggling for outright pace throughout the season.
The Scuderia consistently found itself as the fourth-fastest force on the grid, trailing behind McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull. That clear lack of competitiveness inevitably placed pressure on the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and race engineer Riccardo Adami, both over team radio and, most likely, behind the scenes away from the cockpit as well.
The technical tension surrounding Ferrari’s difficult season prevented their partnership from developing naturally. In Formula 1, results change everything, and poor performances can quickly influence the direction of even the strongest professional relationships.
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari: 2026 tells a completely different story
This year, however, the situation has changed dramatically thanks to the characteristics of Ferrari’s new car. Although the SF-26 still suffers from an evident power unit deficit compared to some rivals, the car remains highly usable and predictable for the drivers.
Lewis Hamilton has found himself comfortable behind the wheel far more consistently, while Ferrari also paired him with Carlo Santi as his engineer — a combination that appears to be working naturally and without unnecessary complications.
The chemistry between the two continues to grow steadily, helped significantly by what is widely considered a very strong aero-mechanical platform underneath the SF-26. That competitive foundation has allowed the team to work in a much calmer and more productive environment compared to last season.
At this stage, looking back with regret at how things unfolded previously serves little purpose. Lewis Hamilton himself appears fully focused on the present, while Ferrari has gone to great lengths to ensure the British driver has the ideal conditions to perform at his best.
The Scuderia has supported virtually every request made by Lewis Hamilton, an understandable approach considering the enormous financial and sporting investment made to bring him to Maranello. That operational stability is finally beginning to deliver results, allowing the seven-time world champion to fight consistently near the front once again.
Ferrari has done everything possible to support Lewis Hamilton
Following the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton openly praised the work carried out by Carlo Santi and the second engineer assigned to his side of the garage in Montreal.
The British driver explained that the setup changes introduced during the weekend allowed him to unlock more potential from the SF-26 and attack every corner with greater confidence.
Lewis Hamilton also publicly thanked Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur for the unconditional support he has received since joining the team.
According to the British driver, the efforts made by Fred Vasseur to help him settle comfortably into Ferrari are now directly reflected in the on-track results. The improved relationship with the technical staff has completely transformed the shape of his season.
Carlo Santi’s history within Ferrari’s racing department is also highly significant. Between 2016 and 2017, the Italian engineer worked closely with Kimi Räikkönen as a performance engineer. In 2018, he was promoted to race engineer for the Finnish driver as part of a broader restructuring of Ferrari’s Formula 1 operations.
From 2019 onwards, Carlo Santi took charge of Ferrari’s remote garage operations from the Maranello headquarters, providing real-time strategic and operational support to engineers working trackside during race weekends.
His contribution has also played a major role in planning Ferrari’s long-term performance development. Today, all of that experience is being placed at the service of Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari attempts to return to winning ways in Formula 1.
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