Ferrari Keeps Hamilton's Engineer Secret Amid McLaren Link

Carlo Santi is currently serving as Lewis Hamilton's interim race engineer during testing in Spain, but Ferrari remains tight-lipped about who will take the role permanently. Rumors are swirling within the paddock that the Scuderia is targeting a former McLaren employee to fill the position, adding another layer of intrigue to Hamilton's integration at Maranello.

Why it matters:

The relationship between a driver and their race engineer is the backbone of performance in Formula 1. After a difficult debut season alongside Riccardo Adami, who was recently reassigned, Hamilton needs a seamless communication channel to extract maximum performance from the SF-26. Bringing in fresh talent, potentially from a rival team, could signal Ferrari's aggressive intent to optimize their seven-time champion.

The details:

• Interim Measures: Santi, a veteran who previously worked with Kimi Raikkonen, is holding the fort in Barcelona. He is currently collaborating with Bryan Bozzi, Charles Leclerc's race engineer, to ensure smooth operations during the test week.
• The Adami Context: The search for a successor follows the reassignment of Riccardo Adami. Despite initial plans to continue their partnership into a second season, Ferrari decided to shake up the structure after the duo struggled to find a rhythm during the 2025 campaign.
• McLaren Connection: While the team has offered "no comment" on the specific identity of the future hire, paddock whispers suggest a link to McLaren. If true, this would mark a significant cross-team move, bringing insights from a team that has shown strong recent form.

What's next:

With the season opener fast approaching, Ferrari is under pressure to finalize their engineering lineup to establish stability before the first race. The identity of Hamilton's permanent engineer will be a key indicator of how the team plans to structure its challenge for the 2026 title.