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Bono’s New Chapter: Staying with Mercedes as Hamilton Sets Course for Ferrari
Peter 'Bono' Bonnington is not set to join Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, having secured a promotion within Mercedes, according to information obtained by Crash.net.
Lewis Hamilton is set to be assigned a fresh race engineer as he transitions to Ferrari in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Crash.net has discovered that Peter 'Bono' Bonnington, who is presently serving as Hamilton's race engineer, has been elevated to the position of head of race engineering at Mercedes.
Bonnington has assumed the role effectively immediately, yet he will maintain his role as Hamilton's engineer for the remainder of the season. Following this, he will collaborate with a different Mercedes driver starting in 2025.
Announcement of Bonnington's advancement quashes rumors of him possibly joining Hamilton at competitor Ferrari.
For the last dozen years, since the seven-time world champion joined Mercedes, Bonnington has been Hamilton's race engineer. Together, they've created one of the strongest driver-engineer duos ever seen in Formula 1.
Hamilton has secured six world championships for drivers and contributed to Mercedes clinching eight constructors’ championships during his collaboration with Bonnington.
Since joining the Brackley team in 2006, during its days under Honda, Bonnington has been a key figure. He took on the role of race engineer for Michael Schumacher, the iconic seven-time world champion, during his comeback to F1 with Mercedes from 2010 to 2012.
Crash.net has learned that Hamilton's existing contract contains a provision that prohibits Ferrari from enticing key members of the Mercedes team to join them.
Following the announcement of Hamilton's surprising move to Ferrari, Mercedes leader Toto Wolff acknowledged that Bono's future would be a subject of conversation.
"Wolff expressed his belief that this is a conversation that needs to be engaged in by everyone in the near future."
"Despite having had numerous conversations with Bono, when I informed him of Hamilton's decision, his response was, 'Is it April Fools' Day?' This is a topic we plan to explore further down the line."
The individual whom Bonnington will work with as an engineer at Mercedes in the upcoming year remains uncertain.
George Russell collaborates with Marcus Dudley at the moment, and while the successor for Hamilton remains unannounced, Mercedes' rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli is widely anticipated to fill the open position left by the departing British driver.
In the meantime, Hamilton is expected to collaborate with Riccardo Adami upon his initiation at Ferrari. At present, Adami is teamed up with Carlos Sainz, whom Hamilton is set to succeed in 2025.
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