Peter Bonnington has celebrated his eighth Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship title after guiding Andrea Kimi Antonelli to his historic 2026 triumph with Mercedes. The British engineer, affectionately known as ‘Bono’, has now contributed to championship-winning campaigns involving three different drivers: Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Antonelli.
While the 20-year-old Italian secured his first world championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Bonnington reached another remarkable milestone in a career that has spanned more than two decades. Having previously worked with Michael Schumacher and helped Lewis Hamilton claim six titles at Mercedes, the 51-year-old is now firmly established among the most successful engineers in Formula 1 history.
Peter Bonnington celebrates eighth F1 world title with Kimi Antonelli
The Mexico City Grand Prix delivered a new and remarkably young world champion to Formula 1. Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s success was also a triumph for Mercedes, which had placed its faith in the young driver from Bologna as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement and was rewarded with a championship in only his second season.
Before the start of the 2026 campaign, relatively few had considered such an outcome likely. However, Antonelli’s performances ultimately justified the team’s confidence in his potential, culminating in a historic championship victory that the Italian regards as only the beginning of his Formula 1 ambitions.
The first person to celebrate the achievement with Antonelli over team radio was his race engineer, Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, who shared the excitement of the decisive moment with the newly crowned world champion.
For Antonelli, the victory represented his first Drivers’ World Championship. For Bonnington, however, it was the eighth title he had helped a driver secure during his Formula 1 career, and the seventh in his capacity as a race engineer.
Six F1 world championships with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes
Since 2013, Peter Bonnington had served as Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer at Mercedes, forming one of the most recognisable and successful driver-engineer partnerships in Formula 1 history.
Together, the pair won six Drivers’ World Championships, more than any other driver-engineer combination in the history of the sport. Their working relationship became an iconic part of Mercedes’ success, with Bonnington playing a central role in supporting Hamilton throughout his championship-winning years.
The partnership eventually ended following the 2024 season, when Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes to begin a new chapter of his career with Ferrari.
Mercedes subsequently entrusted Bonnington with the development of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, whose promotion to the team represented a significant investment in the future. The decision has already delivered a world championship, with the experienced engineer helping the youngster achieve the greatest success of his career.
Peter Bonnington’s first F1 world title came with Jenson Button in 2009
Although Peter Bonnington is best known for his partnership with Lewis Hamilton, his championship-winning record actually began in 2009, when he was working for Brawn GP.
At the time, the 34-year-old British engineer was serving as Jenson Button’s performance engineer. The team, established by Ross Brawn following Honda’s withdrawal from Formula 1, went on to achieve one of the sport’s most memorable championship successes before becoming Mercedes in 2010.
Bonnington’s Formula 1 career had begun in 2004, when he joined Jordan as a data engineer and worked alongside Giorgio Pantano and Timo Glock.
He subsequently moved to Honda, where he worked as an assistant to Andrew Shovlin. When Shovlin became Jenson Button’s race engineer, Bonnington was promoted to the role of performance engineer.
The trio went on to celebrate Brawn GP’s extraordinary 2009 championship triumph, when Button claimed the Drivers’ World Championship in a season few could have predicted before it began.
That victory marked the first of the eight Drivers’ World Championship titles now associated with Bonnington’s career, establishing the foundation for the remarkable success that followed at Mercedes.
From Michael Schumacher to Kimi Antonelli: Bonnington’s remarkable F1 career
Peter Bonnington’s early years as a race engineer were equally significant, as he became the final race engineer to work with seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher during the German driver’s Formula 1 career.
Following Mark Slade’s departure from Mercedes, Bonnington took over the role in September 2011 and continued working with Schumacher until the end of the 2012 season.
That experience preceded his long and successful partnership with Lewis Hamilton, during which he helped Mercedes secure six Drivers’ World Championships between 2014 and 2020.
Now, Bonnington’s extensive technical knowledge and experience are supporting Andrea Kimi Antonelli, whose rapid development has already produced exceptional results. The Italian’s progress was particularly evident during the 2026 United States Grand Prix, when Bonnington played an important role in helping him secure victory at Austin.
His influence has now contributed to another world championship, extending a remarkable career that has included working with some of Formula 1’s greatest drivers.
With eight Drivers’ World Championship successes involving three different champions, including seven titles achieved as a race engineer, Peter Bonnington has established an extraordinary record. His experience, developed alongside Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, is now helping guide the next generation of Mercedes talent.
More news about Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes
- Stefano Domenicali celebrates Kimi Antonelli’s historic F1 title after Italy’s 73-year wait
- Toto Wolff praises Kimi Antonelli after his Formula 1 world championship victory
- Kimi Antonelli’s father reveals when he knew his son could become an F1 world champion
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