Montoya: Bonnington key to Antonelli's impressive Mercedes form

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Peter 'Bono' Bonnington is a "big part" of Kimi Antonelli's stunning start at Mercedes. The 19-year-old rookie has become the youngest driver to lead the drivers' standings, now holding a 20-point advantage over teammate George Russell after a strong run of results.

Why it matters:

The driver-engineer relationship is often overlooked, but Montoya's comments highlight how Bonnington—who guided Lewis Hamilton to six titles and earlier worked with Michael Schumacher—is molding Antonelli into a championship contender. For Mercedes, a smooth transition from the Hamilton era to a new generation depends heavily on that continuity.

The details:

• Antonelli's aggression: Montoya noted the Italian is using the full track in qualifying, pushing limits that even Russell hasn't matched. "At some point, you need to try it," he said. "You at least need to stick it out there for a lap and see how you can make it work."
• Bonnington's pedigree: The race engineer joined Mercedes in 2011, first with Schumacher, then as Hamilton's right hand from 2013-2024. His calm, analytical approach is now being applied to a raw talent like Antonelli.
• Early struggles to dominance: After a crash on his FP1 debut at Monza and heavy scrutiny, Antonelli has rebounded with wins including the Miami Grand Prix—described by Damon Hill as "stupendous". The gap to Russell is now the largest of any driver to their teammate this season.

What's next:

With Antonelli leading the championship in just his first full season, the Mercedes camp faces an enviable problem: managing a title fight between two young drivers. Bonnington's experience in handling intra-team dynamics at the sharp end will be crucial. If Montoya's assessment holds, the Kimi-Bono partnership could define F1's next era.