Peter Bonnington reveals "stern conversation" that transformed Kimi Antonelli's F1 career
Kimi Antonelli's race engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington has revealed that a "really stern conversation" helped turn around the Italian driver's rookie Formula 1 season, a year before he became the 2026 world champion. Antonelli finished third at last weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, which was enough to secure his maiden title. While speaking to F1 TV after the race, Bonnington reflected on how ...…
Peter Bonnington, race engineer for Kimi Antonelli, revealed that a particularly stern conversation played a pivotal role in turning around the Italian driver's challenging rookie season in Formula 1 before he emerged as the 2026 world champion. After speaking to F1 TV following the team's victory at the Mexican Grand Prix, Bonnington recalled how Antonelli, who finished third at the race, was spurred into action following a tough period during the European season in 2025.
Despite entering the 2026 season as a favorite for the title, Antonelli took the lead of the championship at the third round following back-to-back wins at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. With a remarkable nine wins to date, Bonnington emphasized that being a race engineer involves not only managing the car but also ensuring the driver's well-being, a lesson that proved invaluable to Antonelli during their difficult early season.
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