A previously unseen clip from the Chinese Grand Prix qualifiers has laid bare a comical slip by Peter Bonnington, who mistakenly referred to Andrea Kimi Antonelli as “Lewis” over the team’s radio. Bonnington, a race engineer who has had a long association with the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, served him during his 11 years at Mercedes, spanning from 2013 to 2024.
Last year, PlanetF1.com disclosed a “no-poaching” stipulation in Hamilton’s contract that barred him from coaxing any of his Mercedes colleagues to accompany him to Ferrari for the F1 2025 season. This year, however, Bonnington has ascended to the role of head of race engineering at Mercedes. He also shoulders the responsibility of mentoring Antonelli, the young prodigy chosen to fill the void left by Hamilton.
Antonelli’s journey with Bonnington kicked off on a high note as he secured a commendable fourth place in his F1 debut in Australia. The Chinese Grand Prix, which recently concluded, was the second race of this newly-formed duo.
The video, which offers a behind-the-scenes peek, captures Bonnington’s amusing faux pas. As Antonelli carefully maneuvers the banked Turn 13 during a slow lap, Bonnington is heard over the radio saying, “Yeah. Copy that, Lewis.” Antonelli, unfazed by this, went on to qualify eighth, trailing behind his team-mate George Russell who split the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by securing second.
This blunder by Bonnington coincided with Hamilton’s first win as a Ferrari driver, where he turned his pole position into a sprint race victory in China. This win was a much-needed rebound for Hamilton, following a less than stellar debut with Ferrari in Australia. In Australia, Hamilton’s interactions with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami, a former colleague of Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel, had been under scrutiny.
Long-time F1 observer and Sky F1 pundit, Martin Brundle, expressed his bewilderment over Hamilton’s rather tense interactions over team radio in Melbourne. Ralf Schumacher also joined the discussion, suggesting that Hamilton and his team-mate Charles Leclerc should face action from Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur.
Post his sprint race victory, Hamilton addressed these criticisms, stating his satisfaction at silencing his detractors in China. He acknowledged the difficulties of transitioning into a new team, emphasizing the challenges of acclimatization and communication within the team.
Hamilton’s comments followed his recent statement where he suggested that other drivers have had more severe interactions with their race engineers over team radio. He drew attention to Max Verstappen’s exchanges with Gianpiero Lambiase at Red Bull, describing them as “abuse.” He assured that his exchanges with Adami were polite and that they were merely getting to know each other. He emphasized the importance of open communication, stating that it was all part of the process of understanding each other’s preferences and working style.
