Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season has stirred many discussions, particularly around whether the seven-time world champion would bring his long-time race engineer, Peter “Bono” Bonnington, with him. However, Hamilton’s decision to leave Bono behind at Mercedes has received praise from former Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley, who believes the Briton made the right call.
Smedley highlighted the risks involved in bringing an engineer along when switching teams, explaining that such a move can backfire if the driver’s fortunes change. In this case, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari without Bono avoids the “dangerous game” of a race engineer becoming too dependent on a driver’s success.
“When a seven-time world champion like Lewis chooses your team, he doesn’t need to bring an entourage with him,” Smedley stated. “I think it’s quite a dangerous game to follow the driver around. If the driver falls out of favor or decides after one year that it’s not for him, the entourage can’t follow. So I think Lewis has done the right thing.”
Smedley emphasized that Hamilton’s reputation for excellence will earn him respect and support within Ferrari, even without Bono by his side. He is confident that Ferrari will rally around Hamilton, given his record and standing in the sport.
“The team will embrace him. If you come with a reputation like Lewis has for delivering, the team will definitely get behind you,” Smedley added.
Despite the challenges of learning Ferrari’s internal workings and potentially mastering the Italian language, Smedley remains optimistic that Hamilton will quickly adapt to his new environment. As Hamilton teams up with Charles Leclerc in 2025, many expect this partnership to propel Ferrari back into serious title contention.
The upcoming season promises to be an exciting one, with the spotlight firmly on how Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari will unfold and whether his decision to leave Bono behind will pay off in the long run.
Photo from (X) Mercedes account
