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Montoya: Bono is key to Antonelli's rise
17 May
Summary
- Juan Pablo Montoya highlights Bono's crucial role in Antonelli's performance.
- Antonelli, 19, became the youngest driver to lead the championship standings.
- Bonnington previously engineered for Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
Juan Pablo Montoya has suggested that Peter 'Bono' Bonnington is a significant factor in Kimi Antonelli's impressive performance for Mercedes. After a difficult beginning to his Formula 1 career, which included an FP1 debut crash, the 19-year-old Antonelli has established himself firmly within the team.
Antonelli has achieved a notable milestone, becoming the youngest driver ever to lead the championship standings. His current advantage over teammate George Russell has grown to 20 points. Montoya, speaking on a podcast, credited Bonnington's guidance, noting his extensive success with Lewis Hamilton and his role in molding Antonelli.
Bonnington's engineering career includes significant work with Michael Schumacher, first as his performance engineer and later as his race engineer. Following Schumacher's retirement, Bonnington transitioned to become Lewis Hamilton's senior race engineer, a position he held until Hamilton's departure from the Brackley-based team at the end of 2024. Together, they secured six of Hamilton's seven world championship titles.
