By G. Mudalige, Jadetimes News
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has reported that Peter Bonnington - 'Bono' to most in the motorsport world - will not make his way to Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton next year. Instead, Bonnington has been promoted to the role of Head of Race Engineering within the Mercedes team; an internal announcement made prior to the August break.
Bonnington, 49, has been Hamilton's race engineer throughout the British driver's illustrious 12-year tenure at Mercedes. The partnership between these two has grown almost legendary in Formula One, with their radio exchanges featuring prominently in the sport's vernacular—the "Hammer Time" call. Through the years, they have won numerous world championships together, their partnership ranking among the most successful in the history of the sport.
Hamilton, 39, will make a landmark move to Ferrari at the end of the current season, his third team change in Formula One. The seven-time world champion made his debut with McLaren in 2007 before moving to Mercedes in 2013, with whom he has been dominating ever since. With Hamilton moving to Ferrari, there has been much talk in motorsport circles about whether Bonnington would follow him. Those rumors are now put to rest with this recent announcement.
A spokesperson at Mercedes confirmed Bonnington's promotion: "Peter has been an invaluable asset to our team, and we are pleased that his new role as Head of Race Engineering will continue to allow him to contribute at the highest level. We all are excited about what he will bring to this position as we move forward."
Bonnington will stay on with Hamilton at the team until the end of the year, providing crucial continuity for the driver in his bid to win an eighth world title. It brings to an end an era at Mercedes, the pair having worked together since Hamilton joined the team.
As for who will replace Hamilton at Mercedes, there has been no word yet from the team. However, young gun Andrea Kimi Antonelli is reported to be the favorite. The Italian sensation celebrated his 18th birthday on Sunday, and speculation is rife that he could make an appearance in the Italian Grand Prix practice session at Monza the following week.
It means the Formula One season resumes this weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, where Red Bull's Max Verstappen will line up in front of his home crowd. All eyes will be on how Mercedes readjusts amid impending changes to its lineup as the championship battle gets underway again this weekend.
