F1: Lewis Hamilton to appoint new race engineer for Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season marks the end of a storied partnership. A key question is what will become of his long-time race engineer, Pete “Bono” Bonington. After a decade of working together, during which he won numerous championships, Bonington has been promoted to head of race engineering at Mercedes. While Bonington will continue to work with Hamilton for the remainder of the 2024 season as he settles into his new role, his appointment also marks a significant shift within the team. Despite his new responsibilities, Bonington will remain involved in the engineering of the 2025 Mercedes drivers. His strong connection with the team dates back to his time at Honda in 2006, when he served as understudy to Andrew Shovlin and worked alongside Jenson Button. Hamilton’s successor at Mercedes has yet to be confirmed, with current Formula 2 star and Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli the leading contender as he has tested extensively with the team’s 2022 W13 in the previous car (TPC), including recently at Spa-Francorchamps.

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Mercedes has yet to announce Lewis Hamilton’s successor. Current Formula 2 standout and Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli is the frontrunner for the position. Antonelli has been heavily involved in testing previous generation Mercedes cars, including the 2022 W13, at various tracks such as Spa-Francorchamps.

F1: Hamilton and Bonington

After working with Michael Schumacher at Mercedes, Pete Bonnington began working with Lewis Hamilton in 2013. Their partnership quickly became one of the most successful in Formula 1, with Hamilton winning six world championships.

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Earlier this year, Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari, and many wondered if Bonington would follow. Despite rumors that he might return to Ferrari, Bonington decided to stay with Mercedes. This decision shows that he remains committed to the team and its future, and factors such as his long experience with Mercedes and his career goals may have influenced his choice.