A new version of Lewis Hamilton is emerging in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. It is a noticeably different Lewis Hamilton compared to the driver seen during his first season at Ferrari, when he struggled to adapt both to the SF-25 and to life inside a completely new environment after leaving Mercedes.
During his debut Ferrari campaign, Lewis Hamilton faced a difficult transition from the long-established Mercedes system, where he had spent the majority of his Formula 1 career, into a new team structure where Charles Leclerc was already fully integrated and carried significant technical and leadership influence within the Maranello-based outfit.
Difficult first season relationship inside Ferrari
One of the key challenges during Lewis Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari was the relationship with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, who had previously worked closely with Carlos Sainz. From the outset, the pairing never fully clicked on a personal level, and the lack of chemistry gradually became a limiting factor.
There was limited empathy between the two, and more importantly, a lack of technical harmony in how feedback and race management were handled. Team radio exchanges during practice sessions and races often revealed misunderstandings and occasional tension, largely amplified by results that fell short of expectations across the board.
For the 2026 season, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur decided to address the situation directly. As is often the case in Formula 1, the less publicly visible figures tend to be the ones affected by internal restructuring. Ferrari could not change Lewis Hamilton, so the team opted to reassign Riccardo Adami to other internal projects within Maranello, ending his role as race engineer to the seven-time world champion.
Several potential replacements were considered. At one stage, Ferrari had brought in Cedric Michel-Grosjean from McLaren, and he was widely seen as a leading candidate for the role. However, the internal dynamic eventually shifted in another direction.
Carlo Santi becomes Lewis Hamilton’s new “Bono” at Ferrari
Instead, the role has been taken over by Carlo Santi, a long-serving Ferrari engineer known for his deep technical knowledge and calm, measured communication style. Within the team, Carlo Santi is regarded as one of the most experienced and stable figures in Maranello’s engineering structure.
Carlo Santi began working closely with Lewis Hamilton during the winter period in the simulator, even before the official launch of the SF-26. He remained heavily involved throughout testing, including sessions with older-spec machinery during TPC runs at Fiorano, pre-season preparations in Barcelona, and later in the Bahrain winter testing programme with the new car.
The connection between Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi developed quickly and naturally, strengthening further as Lewis Hamilton began to feel more comfortable with Ferrari’s current generation of Formula 1 cars. This improved technical alignment helped accelerate the bond between driver and engineer.
As a result, Cedric Michel-Grosjean’s involvement was gradually shifted into other departments, while Carlo Santi’s role became increasingly central. He is now officially and permanently established as Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer at Ferrari.
During media day ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton openly praised Carlo Santi, describing him as Ferrari’s version of Peter Bonnington and referring to him as the “Italian Bono”, in reference to the engineer who played a crucial role in Lewis Hamilton’s most successful years at Mercedes.
It reflects a broader realisation within Ferrari that maximising Lewis Hamilton’s performance requires more than just technical adjustments. It also depends heavily on recreating a psychological and communication environment in which the driver feels fully supported. Throughout his Formula 1 career, Lewis Hamilton has consistently benefited from a strong and stable relationship with his race engineer.
This approach is also reflected in recent decisions regarding preparation. Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, following a similar choice made for Miami, Lewis Hamilton opted not to use the simulator for race weekend preparation. This decision was made jointly with Carlo Santi, who supported the driver’s preference rather than pushing him towards a more traditional Ferrari methodology that Lewis Hamilton has not always fully trusted.
Lewis Hamilton has always been regarded as a classic-style racing driver. He relies heavily on real track feeling, grip feedback and direct experience on circuit. In several instances, simulator data has not perfectly aligned with his on-track sensations, leading him to favour real-world running over virtual preparation. Even during his Mercedes years, despite regular simulator usage, Lewis Hamilton was never among the drivers most dependent on it for performance building.
Now, in this new phase of his Ferrari career, Lewis Hamilton appears to have found a strong technical and human reference point in Carlo Santi. This renewed partnership could prove crucial as the 2026 season develops, with Ferrari closely monitoring whether this improved connection translates into even stronger results in the races ahead.
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