Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes to Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season marks the end of a legendary partnership. A crucial question that has lingered is the fate of his longtime race engineer, Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington. After a decade-long collaboration that yielded numerous championships, Bonnington has been promoted to Head of Race Engineering at Mercedes. While Bonnington will continue to work with Hamilton for the remainder of the 2024 season as he transitions to his new role, his appointment also signals a significant shift within the team. Despite his new responsibilities, Bonnington will still be involved in engineering one of Mercedes’ drivers in 2025. His deep-rooted connection to the team stretches back to his time with Honda in 2006, where he served as an understudy to Andrew Shovlin and worked alongside Jenson Button. Hamilton’s successor at Mercedes is yet to be confirmed, with current Formula 2 star and Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli the leading contender as he has carried out extensive testing of previous cars (TPC) with the team’s 2022 W13, including a recent day at Spa-Francorchamps.
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Mercedes has yet to announce a successor for Lewis Hamilton. Current Formula 2 standout and Mercedes junior, Kimi Antonelli, is a frontrunner for the position. Antonelli has been actively involved in testing previous generation Mercedes cars, including the 2022 W13, at various tracks like Spa-Francorchamps.
F1: Hamilton and Bonnington
Pete Bonnington started working with Lewis Hamilton in 2013, after working with Michael Schumacher at Mercedes. Their partnership quickly became one of the most successful in Formula 1, leading to six World Championships for Hamilton.
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When Hamilton announced his surprising move to Ferrari earlier this year, many wondered if Bonnington would follow. Despite speculation about a possible reunion at Ferrari, Bonnington has decided to stay with Mercedes. This decision suggests he remains committed to the team and its future, with factors such as his long history with Mercedes and his career goals likely influencing his choice.
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