Pete Bonnington will “cherish” the podium moment after Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, having celebrated Kimi Antonelli’s maiden victory for Mercedes with his former driver Lewis Hamilton also there to share the moment.
Bonnington, or ‘Bono’, has been in the sport a long time, and spent a good chunk of his career as Hamilton’s Race Engineer. But when the seven-time World Champion moved to Ferrari, Bonnington took on a new role, mentoring Antonelli as the teenager took the vacant Mercedes seat and set about adapting to the world of F1.
With both ‘his’ drivers on the podium in Shanghai, Mercedes sent Bonnington up to collect the Constructors’ trophy, and Bono found the moment as special as everyone watching.
“It was pretty good, I can’t complain. To have Lewis there with Kimi was a hell of a moment, one I will cherish,” he said afterwards.
With George Russell imperious in both the Australian Grand Prix and the Sprint in China, many expected Antonelli to have a tough ask to match his team mate this season – but won in Shanghai to become the second youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history.
That puts the 19-year-old right in the mix for the title, albeit at a very early stage in a long season. Antonelli did give Bonnington a scare though, locking up and running wide with just a few laps to go.
“At first it was just a relief [to win] and I just thought, ‘good, it feels like we’re on the right path.’ But now, just seeing the reaction and seeing what it means to him, what it means to everyone, it’s super special,” Bonnington added.
“It’s his first one and to be there up on the podium, Lewis to my left, Kimi to my right – it’s a real special moment.
“Seeing how much it meant to him and seeing how much it meant to his dad and the fans, it was really good.”
Antoneli became the second-youngest Grand Prix winner after Max Verstappen, having already taken the record for the youngest polesitter from Sebastian Vettel with his Qualifying performance on Saturday.
It is clear Bonnington is working with a prestigious talent, and he is best placed to judge just how Antonelli compares to Hamilton – who came into the sport at the slightly older age of 22 – and whether the teenager can mount a serious challenge for the Championship.
“It is chalk and cheese. With Lewis, I knew what he was thinking, I knew that he didn’t need to be told. Whereas when I started with Kimi it was a case of – I don’t know what he doesn’t know.
“So, I’m having to re-remember loads of stuff that I took for granted, so that was a good process for myself. But Kimi just brings a completely different vibe, because he’s still so young.
“[The Championship] is going to take endurance… To win one [race] is great but to win a Championship, it is exponential the effort that goes into it, and I think it is taking it a step at a time, follow your procedures, just think about the process and don’t get ahead of yourself.
“Don’t worry, it will come, if you tick all the boxes and you get all your ducks in a row, it will come to you. Don’t worry about the Championship, it will come.”
