Mercedes Formula 1 rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli has revealed he’s benefitting in several ways from experienced Race Engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington.
‘Bono’ is the man in Antonelli’s ear through F1 weekends, having guided the sport’s two most successful drivers, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, before teaming up with the Italian teenager.
Antonelli’s meteoric rise through the junior ranks, with Mercedes backing, has seen him arrive in F1 as an 18-year-old, just two years on from Formula Regional success.
Hamilton’s Mercedes successor has acquitted himself well, putting in a stunning drive in mixed conditions to soar from 16th on the grid to fourth during his Grand Prix debut in Australia.
He then followed that up with a solid haul of 10 points during the Chinese GP Sprint weekend, and Antonelli has expressed that Bonnington’s knowledge has been an asset.
“I think having someone like Bono, it’s amazing,” Antonelli told F1.
“It’s a very big privilege because he has worked with two of the best drivers in the history of Formula 1, he worked with Michael, and then he worked with Lewis for so many years.
“So having someone with so much knowledge and experience, it really helps you because obviously I’ve so many new scenarios that I will have to go through, so many new scenarios that I will have to face, so many new things that I will have to learn, and having someone like him that has so much experience, definitely it’s really helpful because it can really guide you in every situation, and so I feel really lucky to have someone like him.”
Antonelli makes incredible admission over 2025 plans
Antonelli’s achievements during his first two GPs are made all the more remarkable given his youth.
As an 18-year-old, Antonelli is putting in mature performances well beyond his years, but his youth presents challenges.
For instance, the Italian only just passed his driving test in the off-season!
But perhaps even more startling is the fact that Antonelli is still studying at school, as an F1 driver.
“I have final exams, so I am trying to fit a date where I can do it, which is pretty difficult at the moment,” Antonelli revealed on The Fast and the Curious.
“I’m getting a lot of help from the school, I’m not going to lie, they’re sending me stuff over.
“It’s a big commitment. To be honest, I really want to do this, it’s important as well, and I’ve been doing so many years of school, and it would be a shame to just quit in the last year.
“Also my mom really cares about it, I will do it for her.”
Antonelli receives his class materials online, which he then has to balance with the duties of being an F1 driver.
A unique experience that is almost unheard of at the pinnacle of motorsport.
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