F1. The collaboration between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, is coming to an end. The British engineer has been promoted within Mercedes, putting an end to all speculation about a possible move to Ferrari.
Peter Bonnington, nicknamed Bono in the paddock, has been a key element in Lewis Hamilton’s success with Mercedes. Their collaboration dates back to his arrival in the team in 2013. With Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari, speculations had emerged about the engineer joining his driver’s new team. However, Bono will stay with Mercedes for the upcoming seasons.
A dynamic that is going to come to an end
Peter Bonnington is particularly appreciated by a fan. With 84 Grand Prix wins and six world championships, their partnership is one of the most appreciated in history. Their relationship through the radio has become particularly popular for the phrases “It’s hammer-time” and “Get in there, Lewis”, still widely used by the British driver’s fans. With Lewis Hamilton’s imminent transfer to Ferrari for the 2025 season, rumors have circulated about whether Peter Bonnington would follow him to Maranello.
© Mercedes / Lewis Hamilton and Peter Bonnington form a duo at Mercedes
However, it seems that Ferrari will have to give up on the duo. The Mercedes spokesperson recently confirmed to the media that Peter Bonnington would remain with the team for the upcoming seasons. He has also been promoted to the position of head of race engineering, with immediate effect. Nevertheless, Lewis Hamilton and Peter Bonnington will continue to work together until his final race with the team in Abu Dhabi. The promotion of the British engineer is part of a broader organizational restructuring within Mercedes. The team had previously confirmed that Lewis Hamilton’s contract included a non-poaching clause, preventing the British driver from recruiting Peter Bonnington to Ferrari. Despite this, the future was still uncertain for both.
In collaboration with the new pilots.
If the future is not yet mapped out for Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari has no choice but to find a new race engineer for the driver. With several candidates at the moment, it seems that the collaboration will be with Ricciardo Adami, the current engineer of Carlos Sainz. In the past, he has notably worked with Sebastian Vettel and has contributed to winning several Grand Prix races within the team.
Peter Bonnington, for his part, has already planned ahead. According to recent reports, the engineer’s decision to stay with the team has been greatly influenced by new talents. Particularly young Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has completed several test sessions with Mercedes. While it is still unclear who will take the second seat alongside George Russell, Peter Bonnington’s new role will likely involve working with the new generation of drivers. This could particularly occur during private testing.
The end of their partnership represents a significant change for both parties, as they have worked together for over 10 years at Mercedes. However, the two men will part on good terms as Lewis Hamilton has already celebrated several victories this season. Just as Peter Bonnington had already worked with Michael Schumacher, everything indicates that the next driver will have valuable and experienced help by his side.
