Toto Wolff hails Mercedes race engineer Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington for mentoring Kimi Antonelli, crediting his guidance as a key factor in the youngster’s run of wins in 2026.

Wolff describes Bonnington as a good mentor and a strong boss, underlining the engineer’s authority on the radio during high-pressure moments.

Bonnington’s pedigree is extensive. He worked with Michael Schumacher at Mercedes, then partnered Lewis Hamilton for 12 seasons, spanning title-contending eras and evolving regulations.

After Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, Bonnington moved to Antonelli’s garage for the Italian’s 2025 debut. Antonelli is now in year two and leads the championship.

Three consecutive victories, capped by Miami, make Antonelli the youngest championship leader in F1 history. Execution and composure, not outright pace alone, define that surge.

In Miami, Bonnington filtered track-limits management to reduce cockpit stress. With two strikes, Wolff considered intervening, but Bonnington insisted on managing the situation himself.

That approach reflects clear role definition. The race engineer shields the driver from noise while delivering only actionable information, a proven template from Mercedes’ title years.

Wolff calls Miami Antonelli’s best race so far, yet stresses development is ongoing. The team intends to pair mentoring with selective pressure to accelerate decision-making under fatigue.

A key strand is rapid compartmentalization of errors. Antonelli is encouraged to analyze, bank the lesson, and reset immediately, protecting pace and tyre life during long stints.

The wider implication is strategic continuity at Mercedes. Bonnington anchors a support structure that blends experience with data tools, giving a young driver a stable feedback loop.

That stability matters amid evolving technical rules and race-control rigor on track limits. Clear coaching mitigates penalties and preserves track position in tightly matched midfield traffic.

With the 2026 campaign gathering pace, Mercedes focuses on sustaining Antonelli’s momentum while refining execution. The objective is repeatability, not flashes of speed.

Wolff frames the horizon as long-term. Consistent reinforcement from engineering, strategy, and driver coaching aims to convert early promise into durable championship contention.

Visual Summary

“There were a few times today when he had two strikes with the track limits – I said to Bono, ‘One more and I’m gonna go on the radio’, and he said, ‘No, no, you leave that to me.’”

– Toto Wolff

James William

James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.