F1 | Hamilton, no Bono in Ferrari: “He chose the best for himself”

Lewis Hamilton will embark on a new adventure next year, when he will land at the court of Maranello alongside Charles Leclerc in Ferrari. However, to accompany him on this new journey there will not be some of those characters that the Englishman hoped to have at his side also in Rosso.

In fact, the one who will not follow the seven-time world champion to Ferrari will be Peter “Bono” Bonnington, the race engineer who has followed Hamilton to Mercedes since his arrival way back in 2013. The British driver hoped that Bono could follow him to the Maranello team, not only to continue a relationship that has been going on for over ten years, but also to find a point of reference in an environment that will be completely new to him.

However, the British engineer has been promoted to Mercedes and will remain with the Silver Arrows in the future, while also maintaining his role as race engineer, in a dual role that almost seems to recall that of Gianpiero Lambiase at Red Bull.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton said he understood Bonnington’s reasons for remaining at Mercedes, although he would be aware that he was starting a new relationship with a different race engineer after so many years with a trusted figure at his side.

“I was hoping Bono would go to Ferrari? I would have loved to continue with him. We have a great relationship. I love him, he’s like a brother, but I’m very, very happy for him. For me it’s just about doing what’s best for yourself. In his case, packing up and leaving, I can only imagine: it’s not about him and his partner. It’s a two-way thing.”

“I knew it was unlikely that he would come with me, because it would be a drastic change in his life. But I’m really happy that we here at the team recognize his career path, so he can grow more. In any case, we will be a family forever. We’ve talked about it and we just want to make sure we finish on a high note.”

When asked if he would only be able to start talking to his new race engineer in January, when his new contract begins, Hamilton confirmed and added: “It’s tough. That makes things very difficult, but I think it’s the same for anyone who moves to a new team,” said the Englishman. Undoubtedly Riccardo Adami is the reference figure given his long experience in the role, which at Ferrari also led him to work with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz, creating an excellent relationship.

“It has to be someone you get along with, someone you can easily build trust with. The next year will almost be a process of us discovering each other. We’ll know pretty quickly if it works or not, and I think it’s just about communication.”

After ruling out Bonnington’s move, Hamilton was asked if any other Mercedes figures will follow him to Ferrari: “Not that I know of. There are some people I’ve worked with in the past, so I know them, like Fred Vasseur.”