Lewis Hamilton has expressed his admiration for Race Engineer following the news of His promotion at Mercedes but acknowledged that it will be an emotional moment when their working relationship ends.
Ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Mercedes confirmed to Formula1.com that Bonnington, known as Bono, will not be joining Hamilton at Ferrari at the end of the year. Instead, Bonnington has been appointed as Mercedes’ new Head of Race Engineering.
Bonnington has worked alongside Hamilton since he joined Mercedes in 2013, leading to speculation about whether their successful partnership, which has resulted in six drivers’ titles, would continue at Ferrari.
As the F1 paddock reunited at Zandvoort after the summer break, Hamilton made his first public comments on the matter, clarifying that there had been no behind-the-scenes discussions about Bonnington joining him at Ferrari. “I think maybe seven years ago, or five years ago, something like that, there was probably a joke about how amazing it would be to be [at Ferrari] one day, but no, we’ve not had any discussions about [Bono joining me there],” Hamilton said.
“I’m so happy for Bono. I just wanted him to make the decision that was best for him. At this stage in his life, he needed to choose what was right for him and his family.
This won’t change our relationship, even though we won’t be working side by side every day, which will be sad for both of us—it’s going to be emotional. But we’ll always be in each other’s lives. Bono is like a brother to me.
I’m really glad the team has recognized his value and given him this great opportunity to grow even more within Mercedes, as he’s such an important asset for the team.”
Despite the move to Ferrari, Hamilton and Bonnington still have 10 more races together at Mercedes, as both driver and team aim to continue their impressive climb up the rankings during the first half of the 2024 season.
“It feels phenomenal, to be honest,” Hamilton said of Mercedes’s recovery. “When we started the year, we definitely didn’t think it would be like this… I remember after the first test, we all thought, ‘Jeez, this is going to be a really long year.’”
“We had so many tough races where we struggled just to break into the top 10, so seeing the turnaround now is incredible. I always believed we’d get there eventually, just like we did in 2022 by the time we got to Brazil. But did I expect it to happen this soon? Definitely not.
Everyone at the factory has been working tirelessly, staying motivated and focused. It feels great to know that we now have a car capable of fighting for points.”
Hamilton, who secured victories at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, currently sits sixth in the drivers’ standings. He’s scored just one point fewer than championship leader Max Verstappen over the last seven races. Meanwhile, Mercedes holds fourth in the constructors’ standings, trailing third-placed Ferrari by 79 points, McLaren by 100 points, and Red Bull by 142 points.
Discussing his and the team’s goals for the rest of the year, the seven-time world champion added, “For me, it’s all about building on our performance every weekend.
If we can catch Ferrari in the constructors’ standings, that would be an incredible comeback. If I can break into the top five in the drivers’ standings or get close to the top three, I think that would be a great recovery.”
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