Former Formula 1 race engineer Rob Smedley says Mercedes race engineer Peter “Bono” Bonnington has been essential to Kimi Antonelli’s 2026 title fight, though he stresses the driver ultimately delivers results on track.
Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead the championship after consecutive victories at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. In his second season, the 20‑year‑old has continued to improve, securing a record eighth win at the Spanish Grand Prix and now holds an 81‑point lead over teammate George Russell.
During an episode of the High Performance Racing podcast, Smedley was asked how much credit Bonnington—who has previously worked with Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher—deserves for the impressive 2026 campaign.
“Bono is everything. Everything. The engineer should get everything,” he joked. “Without the engineer, these lads would be nowhere.”
He added, more seriously: “He deserves some credit, doesn’t he? Because he keeps him on the straight and narrow. He gives him all the information he needs. But Kimi’s the pedal bracket, isn’t he? He’s the one who’s got to deliver on a Sunday afternoon.”
Peter Bonnington, Race Engineer, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, who co‑hosts the podcast alongside Smedley and broadcaster Jake Humphrey, added: “[Antonelli’s] part of the feedback loop, too. He tells Bono what he wants, and Bono does it.”
Antonelli previously described working with Bonnington as a “privilege” and praised his extensive experience.
“I think having someone like Bono is amazing,” Antonelli said during the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix weekend. “It’s a very big privilege because he has worked with two of the best drivers in F1 history—Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton for many years. Having someone with so much knowledge really helps me through all the new scenarios I face, and I feel really lucky to have him.”
