Lewis Hamilton credits key Ferrari ally for reigniting his passion and performance. Lewis Hamilton has praised Ferrari race engineer Carlo Santi for playing a major role in his resurgence.

Much of the attention following Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari victory has understandably focused on the driver, the car and the team’s latest upgrades. However, according to the seven-time world champion, one of the most important factors behind his remarkable turnaround has been a key relationship developed away from the spotlight.

After securing a landmark victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton made sure to acknowledge the contribution of race engineer Carlo Santi, a figure who has quietly become one of the most influential people in the British driver’s Ferrari journey.

As celebrations unfolded in Barcelona, Carlo Santi joined Lewis Hamilton on the podium, symbolising a partnership that has grown rapidly since the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season. While drivers often receive the headlines, Hamilton’s comments made it clear that the success achieved so far has been very much a collaborative effort.

A fresh start after a difficult first season

When Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari, he initially worked with Riccardo Adami, the engineer previously associated with Carlos Sainz. While both men approached the challenge professionally, the partnership never appeared to develop the natural chemistry that is often required to extract maximum performance in Formula 1.

Recognising the need for a different dynamic, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur approved a restructuring ahead of the 2026 campaign. Carlo Santi was brought into a more prominent role, initially on what was expected to be a temporary basis.

The original plan reportedly involved Carlo Santi overseeing race engineering duties for a limited number of events before eventually handing responsibilities to Cedric Grosjean, who was still adapting to Ferrari after arriving from McLaren.

However, the situation evolved quickly. Almost immediately, Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi developed a strong working relationship. The connection proved so effective that Lewis Hamilton requested continuity rather than another change, leading Ferrari to maintain the partnership as the season progressed.

Within the team, some have even compared Carlo Santi’s growing influence to the role Peter Bonnington played throughout Lewis Hamilton’s most successful years at Mercedes. The British driver himself has jokingly referred to Carlo Santi as an Italian version of the trusted engineer who stood beside him during multiple championship-winning campaigns.

Why the Lewis Hamilton–Carlo Santi partnership works

One of the greatest challenges facing any driver changing teams is rebuilding the level of trust and understanding that develops over years of working with the same engineer. For Lewis Hamilton, leaving behind Peter Bonnington after more than a decade of success represented one of the biggest adjustments of his career.

The emotional and professional connection between driver and race engineer often determines how effectively feedback is translated into performance gains. Engineers are responsible not only for setup decisions and race strategy but also for providing the confidence and reassurance drivers need during critical moments.

Lewis Hamilton explained after the Barcelona victory that he and Carlo Santi had entered the season as complete strangers. They had never previously worked together, knew very little about each other and had no established foundation upon which to build. Despite those circumstances, the Ferrari driver revealed that the relationship developed naturally from their very first meetings. He suggested that forming such a strong bond with a new engineer after spending so many years working alongside Peter Bonnington had been both refreshing and emotionally significant.

According to the seven-time world champion, sharing the Barcelona triumph with Carlo Santi made the moment even more rewarding because both men had embarked on the challenge together without knowing what to expect.

Reigniting confidence on both sides of the garage

Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Lewis Hamilton’s reflections was his belief that the partnership has benefited both individuals.

The Ferrari driver suggested that Carlo Santi’s enthusiasm, dedication and commitment had helped reignite his own passion for racing after the frustrations of recent years. At the same time, Lewis Hamilton felt that their success may have also renewed Carlo Santi’s excitement for race engineering at the highest level.

That observation is particularly noteworthy given Carlo Santi’s career path. Before returning to a lead engineering role, he had not served as a primary race engineer since Kimi Raikkonen’s departure from Ferrari at the end of the 2018 season.

For Fred Vasseur, entrusting such an important position to someone who had spent years away from the spotlight carried a degree of risk. Yet the decision now appears increasingly inspired.

Throughout the Spanish Grand Prix, television broadcasts captured several encouraging radio exchanges between Carlo Santi and Lewis Hamilton. Rather than limiting communication to technical information, the engineer frequently provided reassurance, motivation and calm guidance during key phases of the race.

Those messages may seem insignificant from the outside, but drivers often speak about the importance of having a trusted voice in their ear during intense race situations. For the Briton, that support appears to have played a valuable role in helping him remain focused throughout one of the most important races of his Ferrari career.

A partnership Ferrari can build around

Ferrari’s resurgence in 2026 cannot be attributed to a single factor. The SF-26 has improved significantly, Fred Vasseur has continued to reshape the team’s culture, and Lewis Hamilton himself has adapted impressively to the latest regulations.

At the same time, the emergence of Carlo Santi as a central figure in the project highlights the importance of relationships behind the scenes. While Charles Leclerc continues to work on overcoming a difficult spell and rebuilding momentum, Lewis Hamilton has benefited from an engineering partnership that appears stronger with every passing race.

If Ferrari intends to challenge consistently for victories and potentially even the world championship, the bond between Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi could become one of the team’s most valuable assets. Barcelona may have delivered the first major reward, but both men will now be hoping it represents only the beginning of a much bigger success story.