Hamilton blown away by ‘number two’ Carlo Santi: 'He’s absolutely awesome'

What was initially meant to be an interim role is increasingly becoming a key position for Santi in helping the seven-time world champion rediscover his best form, with Hamilton’s two podium finishes so far in 2026 confirming a driver who finally looks back to his old self. The standings reflect that too, with Hamilton now sitting just behind teammate Charles Leclerc after five races.

Speaking after the race, in which the Brit secured a superb second-place finish following a throwback battle with Max Verstappen, Hamilton praised the work carried out behind the scenes by Carlo Santi and the Ferrari team over recent weeks. He revealed that he opted for a completely different set-up direction throughout the weekend after carefully analysing the data together with his new race engineer, a partnership he described as working extremely well. Hamilton reserved special praise for Santi, calling him “absolutely awesome” and admitting he is thoroughly enjoying their collaboration so far.

“I chose a different set-up this weekend through just ciphering through the data, working really well with my engineer. He’s absolutely awesome and I’m really loving working with him. And my number two did a fantastic job this weekend and helped me really pull more performance out of the car, getting into a much sweeter place.”

Hamilton also highlighted the contribution of his performance engineer, explaining that the work done across the weekend allowed him to extract significantly more pace from the SF-26 and finally place the car in what he described as a much “sweeter spot”. According to the Ferrari driver, that improved balance gave him the confidence to attack the corners properly again, something he feels had been missing earlier in the season.

The Brit admitted that, despite the recent rule tweaks introduced to improve the racing, the current generation of Formula 1 cars still does not deliver the same feeling drivers experienced in previous eras. The Ferrari driver explained that the modern power units continue to feel unnatural, particularly because the power delivery fades midway down the straights instead of constantly building all the way to the braking zone as it did during the V8 and V10 years.

According to Hamilton, that sensation of the engine relentlessly pulling at high revs was once one of the defining characteristics of Formula 1, whereas the current cars require drivers to manage energy deployment in a way that fundamentally changes the driving experience. He described it as an entirely new element introduced by the hybrid era, one that still feels strange even after years of racing under these regulations.

At the same time, Hamilton acknowledged that the cars themselves are now much better designed for wheel-to-wheel racing, praising the ability to follow rivals more closely and stay in contention through corners without immediately destroying the tyres or losing downforce. In his view, that aspect represents the biggest positive of the current regulations and has undeniably improved the overall racing spectacle.

However, the seven-time world champion also pointed out that the power unit side of Formula 1 has become less exciting compared to the past, suggesting that the differences between manufacturers remain hugely influential in determining competitiveness across the grid.