Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington has expressed his admiration for Kimi Antonelli’s impressive pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix, highlighting the 19-year-old’s exceptional performance around the challenging Monte Carlo circuit. The achievement further validates Mercedes’ decision to promote the young Italian driver to Formula 1 at such an early stage in his career, with Antonelli currently leading the championship standings.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the qualifying session, Bonnington, known throughout the paddock as “Bono,” revealed his initial doubts about Antonelli’s pole-winning lap. “I didn’t think it was on. Just looking at the time delta, I thought, ‘It’s going to be close, but it’s not going to happen.’ But then the last couple of corners, yeah, came good,” he explained, while acknowledging that Antonelli would likely claim there was still more time available in the lap.
The experienced race engineer emphasized Mercedes’ approach to managing their young talent, focusing on maintaining Antonelli’s enjoyment of racing rather than adding pressure from championship expectations. “We try not to focus on the goal; you always focus on the process. And just make sure he keeps his head down, working on the right things,” Bonnington stated, underlining the team’s methodical development strategy.
Bonnington stressed the importance of allowing Antonelli the freedom to express himself behind the wheel without becoming overwhelmed by the magnitude of the title fight. “Giving him the freedom to do what he enjoys, giving him the freedom to enjoy driving the car. And that’s a really big thing. And not stressing too much. Let’s just enjoy the journey, and we’ll just get on with it, but let’s not get carried away with ourselves. Let’s just focus on climbing each mountain at a time,” he concluded, reflecting Mercedes’ patient approach to nurturing their championship leader’s talents.