Bonnington reveals the test session that showed Mercedes Antonelli's raw talent

Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix on the streets of Monte Carlo, and his race engineer Peter Bonnington says the 19-year-old continues to defy expectations — pointing to an early test session as the moment Mercedes first recognised his exceptional ability.

Bonnington, widely known as “Bono” and previously the engineer behind Lewis Hamilton’s championship campaigns, admitted he was not convinced Antonelli would take pole until the final corners of his qualifying 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,’” he said. “But then the last couple of corners, yeah, came good.”

The engineer added that Antonelli himself would likely feel there was more time left on the table. “I’m sure he’ll come back and say there was another tenth or two in there — he always does!”

Bonnington described his approach to managing the young Italian’s development as deliberately low-pressure, focused on process rather than results. “We try not to focus on the goal; you always focus on the process,” he explained. “Giving him the freedom to enjoy driving the car — that’s a really big thing. Let’s just enjoy the journey and not get carried away with ourselves. Let’s just focus on climbing each mountain at a time.”

The pole position further validates Mercedes’ decision to promote Antonelli directly into Formula 1 for the 2025 season, replacing Hamilton who departed for Ferrari. The Brackley team accelerated Antonelli through their junior programme at pace, moving him from Formula 4 through Formula Regional and into Formula 2 before handing him a seat in the top flight.

Bonnington noted that Monaco had historically been a difficult circuit for Mercedes, making Friday’s opening practice session all the more encouraging — before Saturday’s qualifying ultimately delivered. “We haven’t been great here in the past for quite a number of years, so we haven’t actually got a decent reference. So it was a little bit surprising how good we were in FP1.”

The engineer credited Antonelli’s ability to self-diagnose and transform the car’s behaviour as a key marker of his talent. “He just came in this morning, we went through a few bits and pieces, jumped in the car, and completely transformed. As soon as he’s happy in the car — happy driver, fast lap time.”

Antonelli, who has been part of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019, currently leads the drivers’ championship heading into the Monaco race weekend.