Lewis Hamilton’s long-time race engineer, Pete Bonnington, has committed his future to Mercedes, taking on a new role as Head of Race Engineering. Bonnington, who has worked closely with Hamilton since the seven-time world champion joined Mercedes in 2013, has played a key role in securing six world titles with the team.
Speculation had surrounded Bonnington’s future after Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari next season, with many wondering if Bonnington—often called “Bono”—would follow him or remain with Mercedes. However, ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Mercedes confirmed to Formula1.com that Bonnington will step into his new role immediately while continuing to serve as Hamilton’s race engineer for the remainder of the season.
Next year, Bonnington will continue as a race engineer for one of Mercedes’ drivers, though it has not yet been confirmed whether that will be George Russell or Hamilton’s successor. Kimi Antonelli, a promising talent from Mercedes’ F2 program, is considered a leading candidate for the seat.
Bonnington’s new responsibilities are similar to those at Red Bull, where Gianpiero Lambiase serves as Head of Race Engineering while also engineering for reigning world champion Max Verstappen. Bonnington’s career with Mercedes spans back to the team’s early days as Honda, later transitioning through BrawnGP before becoming Mercedes. Throughout his tenure, Bonnington has worked with legendary drivers like Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button, accumulating extensive trackside experience.
This new chapter in Bonnington’s career marks a significant continuation of his journey with Mercedes, where he will now lead the race engineering efforts while continuing to contribute his expertise on the track.
