F1 – No Ferrari for Bono; Lewis Hamilton’s engineer stays at Mercedes and gets promoted. As has been in the air for months, Peter Bonnington will not move to Maranello to follow the seven-time World Champion. His future remains at Brackley, perhaps alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli, still in the role of race engineer. He is set for a promotion in the same role as Giampiero Lambiase.
2025 will be a year of great changes for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion will not only move to Maranello but will do so without his trusted race engineer, who has been with him for twelve years. At Ferrari, he will most likely find Riccardo Adami, who was already alongside Sebastian Vettel during his years in red. As for Peter Bonnington, a new promotion awaits him at Mercedes.
In Formula 1, first with Honda, working in Jenson Button’s garage, and then in Brawn GP (and later Mercedes), Peter Bonnington becomes “Head of Race Engineering,” a role similar to that held in Red Bull by Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Giampiero Lambiase. However, a new driver awaits him from 2025 onwards, perhaps the very young Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
One of the most recognizable voices in the paddock, Bonnington is the author of memorable team radios that have become symbols of Lewis Hamilton’s dominance. From “Ok Lewis, it’s hammertime” to push the Englishman in crucial moments of races, to “Get in there Lewis!” to celebrate his victories, the end of his story with #44 will mark a truly epochal change in the Circus.
As anticipated, Peter Bonnington’s decision to stay at Mercedes should certainly not come as a surprise. Having been with the team for almost twenty years, he is now a prominent figure at Brackley. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton’s contract prevented the Englishman from negotiating directly with his colleagues for a possible collective move to another team.
Source: f1ingenerale
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