Lewis Hamilton Believes Ferrari Engineer Carlo Santi Could Be His New… read more 👇 full details in the commentsÂ
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he believes he may have finally found the Ferrari equivalent of his long-time Mercedes race engineer, Peter “Bono” Bonnington, after developing a strong working relationship with Carlo Santi.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion enjoyed one of the most successful driver-engineer partnerships in the sport’s history during his time at Mercedes. Hamilton and Bonnington worked together for 12 seasons, helping Mercedes dominate the hybrid era and securing six world championships for the British driver. Their relationship became famous for its trust, communication, and understanding, both on and off the track.
Even after Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, the bond between the two remains strong. Bonnington continues to work at Mercedes and now serves as race engineer to championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton is often seen catching up with his former colleague whenever the opportunity arises in the Formula 1 paddock.
However, Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari in 2025 did not produce the same level of chemistry on the pit wall. The veteran driver worked alongside race engineer Riccardo Adami, but the partnership struggled to fully click. Throughout the season, communication issues occasionally became apparent, and the relationship never seemed to reach the level of understanding Hamilton had enjoyed with Bonnington.
At the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, Ferrari decided to make changes. Adami stepped away from the role, allowing experienced team member Carlo Santi to step in as Hamilton’s race engineer on what was initially described as an interim basis.
Since then, the collaboration has exceeded expectations.
Hamilton has enjoyed a much stronger start to the 2026 season, collecting two podium finishes in the opening five races and showing improved consistency. While Ferrari still faces stiff competition from Mercedes and other rivals, Hamilton has repeatedly spoken positively about the people working around him and the atmosphere within his side of the garage.
Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, the 41-year-old opened up about the impact Santi has had and explained why he sees similarities between his current engineer and Bonnington.
Hamilton admitted that finding the right connection between a driver and race engineer is not always easy. According to him, some partnerships naturally work from the beginning, while others take longer to develop or never truly find the right rhythm.
Reflecting on his years with Bonnington, Hamilton noted that their partnership was successful almost immediately. He pointed out that Bono had already worked closely with Michael Schumacher and brought a wealth of experience and knowledge that proved invaluable throughout their time together.
Now, Hamilton believes Santi possesses many of those same qualities.
The Ferrari driver described Santi as calm, experienced, and highly knowledgeable. He praised the engineer’s composed manner on team radio and highlighted their shared understanding of the technical side of Formula 1. Hamilton explained that the two have been able to discuss engineering details in depth, helping them build a productive working relationship in a relatively short period of time.
In fact, Hamilton jokingly revealed that he recently told Bonnington himself that Santi was becoming his “Italian Bono,” a comment that illustrates just how highly he regards his new race engineer.
Santi is no stranger to success within Ferrari. He previously worked as race engineer for former world champion Kimi Räikkönen during the Finn’s final season with the Scuderia in 2018. Over the years, he has also served in several engineering roles within the team, building extensive experience and earning respect throughout the organisation.
What began as a temporary arrangement now appears likely to become a permanent one. Reports suggest Ferrari no longer views Santi’s appointment as interim, and no further changes to Hamilton’s engineering team are expected in the near future.
For Hamilton, who is still chasing success in Ferrari red, establishing a strong connection with his race engineer could prove crucial. If his partnership with Santi continues to grow, Ferrari may have found exactly the support system Hamilton needs as he pursues more victories and potentially another world championship.