Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has highlighted the significant role played by race engineer Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington in Kimi Antonelli’s rapid Formula 1 ascent, describing Bonnington as both a “good mentor” and a “strong boss.” Bonnington, renowned for his long-standing partnership with Lewis Hamilton and previous work with Michael Schumacher, took on the challenge of guiding Antonelli when the young Italian stepped up to the Silver Arrows in 2025.
Now in his second F1 season, Antonelli has become the sport’s youngest-ever championship leader, recently clinching his third consecutive win in Miami. Wolff credited Bonnington’s experience and measured approach as key factors in Antonelli’s smooth transition. “Bono has learned from the greats, from Schumacher to Hamilton for many years and then now to Kimi,” Wolff said. “He’s been a good mentor to him, but also a strong boss.”
Wolff recounted a moment during the Miami Grand Prix when Antonelli was warned for track limit infringements: “There were a few times today when he had two strikes with the track limits – I said to Bono, ‘One more and I’m gonna go on the radio’, and he said, ‘No, no, you leave that to me’. That shows he just knows how to handle it. That’s good, he’s been part of the success.”
While celebrating Antonelli’s standout performance, Wolff emphasized the ongoing need for mentorship as the 19-year-old continues to develop. “When you look throughout his trajectory in karting and in the junior formulae, he was just outstanding… We needed to calibrate and continue to mentor him whilst having pressure on him. He’s able to analyse it, but then don’t overthink it. He compartmentalises it – ‘Okay, I made a mistake. I put it away.’”
Wolff concluded by stressing the importance of consistent support: “All of us collectively that are close to him, we need to keep re-emphasising and repeating the message. This is a long game.”
With Bonnington’s guidance and a supportive team around him, Antonelli continues to flourish as one of Formula 1’s brightest young talents.
