Hamilton Calls Ferrari Engineer Carlo Santi His 'Italian Bono' as Partnership Bears Fruit
Lewis Hamilton has publicly praised Ferrari race engineer Carlo Santi, dubbing him his 'Italian Bono' in comparison to Peter Bonnington, his long-time Mercedes engineer. Santi, 52, joined Hamilton on an interim basis for 2026 after Riccardo Adami was reassigned. The pairing has since delivered a victory and two second-place finishes in three consecutive Grands Prix, with Santi's role now understood to be permanent.
Hamilton finds his engineering anchor at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton has publicly compared his new Ferrari race engineer Carlo Santi to Peter "Bono" Bonnington, the man who guided him through six drivers' championships at Mercedes. Speaking ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton described Santi as "my Italian Bono," a label that has since gained wide circulation across the F1 paddock. [2]
Santi, a 52-year-old Veronese, has spent more than a decade at Ferrari. [1] He previously worked with Kimi Raikkonen as his race engineer in 2018, a tenure that culminated on the podium at the United States Grand Prix when Raikkonen took his 21st and final Formula 1 victory. [7] After Raikkonen left the team, Santi moved into a factory-based remote-garage support role at Maranello, stepping back from the trackside environment. [7]
The engineer change became necessary after Hamilton's difficult debut season with Ferrari in 2025, during which he failed to score a single podium across 24 events. [4] Ferrari confirmed in January 2026 that Riccardo Adami would leave his position as Hamilton's race engineer and move into a role supporting the Ferrari Driver Academy and the team's Testing of Previous Car operation. [6] Santi was brought in during pre-season testing, initially on an interim basis, with a longer-term replacement understood to have been identified. [5]
That interim arrangement has since proved far more enduring. [1] Hamilton secured podium finishes in China and Canada before taking his first Ferrari victory at the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, with Santi's calm, clear radio communication visible throughout the race. [4] Sky Sports F1 understands there are now no plans to make any further changes to the race engineer role. [2]
Hamilton has been direct about what makes the partnership work. [3] He has pointed to Santi's composure and experience as qualities that mirror those he valued in Bonnington, and said he told Bonnington himself about the comparison. [3] Hamilton also credited the pairing with restoring his enjoyment of driving, telling media after the Barcelona win that Santi had "reignited the love" he has for the sport. [4]
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged the strength of the Hamilton-Santi relationship while emphasising the collective effort behind the team's first victory since October 2024. [4] Hamilton himself described the overall engineering set-up in 2026 as "a million times better" than it was during his first season. [5]
:::analysis The Hamilton-Santi dynamic illustrates how driver-engineer chemistry can operate as a genuine performance variable, not merely a background comfort factor. Hamilton's 2025 campaign showed what a fractured pit-wall relationship can cost even a seven-time champion across a full season. Santi's profile, an experienced operator returning to the front line after years in a remote role, offered Hamilton a collaborator who could engage with his technical feedback without the weight of an established working style pulling in a different direction. Whether this partnership can sustain the consistency needed for a title challenge in the second half of 2026 remains the central question heading into the summer. :::
Related reading
- [1]'My Italian Bono' – Who is Carlo Santi and how is he helping Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari? (formula1). Accessed 2026-06-18.
- [2]Lewis Hamilton says he has found his 'Italian Bono' as he likens Ferrari race engineer to Peter Bonnington at Monaco GP (skysports). Accessed 2026-06-18.
- [3]Lewis Hamilton found his 'Italian Bono' at Ferrari in F1 2026 (motorsport). Accessed 2026-06-18.
- [4]Lewis Hamilton lauds connection with new Ferrari engineer Carlo Santi (espn). Accessed 2026-06-18.
- [5]How Hamilton is replicating his Mercedes engineering set-up at Ferrari (the-race). Accessed 2026-06-18.
- [6]Lewis Hamilton labels Ferrari engineer 'Italian Bono' (planetf1). Accessed 2026-06-18.
- [7]Who is Carlo Santi? The voice behind Lewis Hamilton's first Ferrari F1 triumph (crash). Accessed 2026-06-18.