August 21st 2024.
Lewis Hamilton and his long-time race engineer, Peter 'Bono' Bonnington, have been an inseparable duo at Mercedes for several years now. But as Hamilton prepares to make the move to Ferrari in 2025, it seems that he will have to leave behind one of his closest allies in the paddock. It has been confirmed that Bonnington will remain with Mercedes, taking on a new role as the head of race engineering, while Hamilton embarks on a new journey with the Scuderia.
Ferrari, who have not won a title in 16 years, are determined to turn their fortunes around and have signed on Hamilton, the most successful driver in Formula One history, to lead their charge. With team principal Frederic Vasseur working hard to assemble the best team both on and off the track, Bonnington's expertise and experience would have been a valuable addition. However, it seems that the Brit will have to rely on a new team to support him in his quest for an eighth world championship.
According to a spokesperson from Mercedes, Bonnington has signed a new contract with the Silver Arrows and will take on his new role starting from this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix. He will still be present for the remainder of the 2024 season, but it is likely that he will not be working with Hamilton's replacement, who is rumored to be teenage rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Bonnington has been Hamilton's race engineer since 2013, but prior to that, he worked as a performance engineer for Jenson Button at Brawn GP, helping the Brit win the 2009 title.
It has been reported that Hamilton's contract with Mercedes includes a clause that prevents him from directly approaching his colleagues about joining him at Ferrari. Despite this, it is clear that Hamilton holds Bonnington in high regard, considering him like a brother and crediting him as an integral part of his success. Speaking about their relationship in 2023, Hamilton said, "We've had an amazing journey together, we've supported each other on and off-track, through good and bad times, and I love working with Bono. He's like a brother to me, a brother from another mother."
Aside from Bonnington, there were also rumors that Hamilton's new team, Ferrari, were interested in signing legendary car designer Adrian Newey, who is leaving Red Bull. However, it seems that Aston Martin has beaten them to the punch. As the 2021 season resumes after its summer break, all eyes will be on Hamilton to see if he can continue his winning streak and add another victory to his already impressive record.
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