Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his relationship with new race engineer Carlo Santi following his first-ever Ferrari win on the Barcelona GP. Initially introduced in as a brief alternative for Riccardo Adami, Hamilton has beforehand highlighted his “Italian Bono” as a key cause behind his optimistic begin to the 2026 season.
In 2025, Hamilton and Adami struggled to recreate the chemistry the Briton had with Mercedes race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington that helped ship his six Drivers’ titles with the Silver Arrows. However all all through what was a commanding victory on the Barcelona GP, his first-ever in Ferrari crimson, supportive and motivating messages from Santi had been heard over group radio, and rewarded with a spot on the podium subsequent to winner Hamilton.
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Providing perception into his relationship with Santi, Hamilton was delighted at with the ability to join with a person he admitted he hardly knew heading into the 2026 season. Hamilton informed GPblog and different media on the post-race press convention “Yeah, it was nice to have him up there,” Hamilton stated on his podium celebrations.
“I feel, , him sort of substituting this yr, leaping in and diving in deep with me. We didn’t know one another, we’d by no means spoken and… I didn’t know something about him. And we met and I feel obtained on right away.”
Hamilton says Santi ‘reignited’ his love for F1
Picture: Race Footage
Picture: Race Footage
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Hamilton then in contrast his relationship with Santi with that of his time with ‘Bono,’ who now has 19-year-old championship chief Kimi Antonelli has his driver at Mercedes. After the younger Italian’s , Hamilton trails Antonelli by simply 41 factors within the Drivers’ standings.
“It’s nice to have the ability to join with an engineer apart from what I used to have. I had it for such a very long time and then you definitely sort of lose that feeling as a result of Bono’s now doing it with Kimi. It’s actually nice to have the ability to share that have with him on that stage.”
And regardless of Hamilton describing Santi as a “very, very quiet” particular person, the seven-time world champion has credited the race engineer with “reigniting the love” he has for being an driver.
“He’s very, very quiet. You possibly can inform it’s laborious for him to specific his feelings. He’s simply smiley and, , I’m giving him these large hugs and pulling him in, saying thanks. I wish to suppose that this has in all probability reignited the love that he has as being an engineer as he has accomplished for me as a driver.”
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Vasseur praises Hamilton-Santi relationship however focuses on the collective
Picture: Race Footage
Picture: Race Footage
Whereas Ferrari group principal Fred Vasseur has famous the newfound relationship between Santi and Hamilton as a “good one,” the Frenchman selected to concentrate on the Scuderia’s collective effort to get again to successful methods.
He informed media, together with GPblog: “No, I do not wish to put Carlo in entrance or no matter, however I feel it is an enormous effort from everyone. Carlo is a part of the method, and the match between Carlo and Lewis is an effective one. However that we have now to react as a bunch within the good and the dangerous moments.
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“And when it is a dangerous second, I am attempting to guard the group and to take the blame for myself. And at this time, I do not wish to put a division or somebody in entrance of me if we’re getting outcomes as a result of then collectively we’re doing a very good job.”
