Kimi Antonelli, already showing promise in his first Formula 1 season with Mercedes, is deeply appreciative of his partnering with experienced race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington. The young Italian rookie will learn from a man who has worked with some of the greatest drivers in F1, including Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
Affectionately known as Bono in the paddock, he brings nearly two decades of experience to Antonelli’s plate. Starting as a data engineer for Jordan Grand Prix in 2004, he eventually moved to Brawn GP to work with Jenson Button in his championship winning season under Andrew Shovlin.
But it was Mercedes that saw him work with the likes of Schumacher and Hamilton. He became the former’s race engineer in 2011, and at the end of 2012, he was replaced by Hamilton, with the pair collecting six world championships over their 12-year partnership. Now Head of Race Engineering at Mercedes, he’s guiding Antonelli to what the Brackley outfit hopes is an equally as successful pairing.
Speaking during the weekend of the Chinese Grand Prix, Antonelli was keen to highlight the “privilege” it is working with such an experienced person.
“I think having someone like Bono, it’s amazing,” he said. “It’s a very big privilege because he has worked with two of the best drivers in the history of Formula 1 – he worked with Michael and then he worked with Lewis for so many years.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“So having someone with so much knowledge and experience, it really helps you because obviously I’ve so many new scenarios that I will have to go through, so many new scenarios that I will have to face, so many new things that I will have to learn, and having someone like him that has so much experience, definitely it’s really helpful because it can really guide you in every situation, and so I feel really lucky to have someone like him.”
His rookie campaign started strong, with him already showing six points on the standings after finishing fourth in Australia and sixth in China, the latter of which he sustained damage to his car’s floor. This has given the Mercedes driver confidence going into the third race weekend of the season in Japan.
“I’m bringing some Italian culture into this. Also, I’m a guy who likes to hug people. As Italian, we’re very touchy.
“We’re very emotional. So I’m bringing a bit into that, not too much of course because we’re still in a professional environment but I’m getting along very well with him.”
