Smedley credits Bonnington as the force steadying Antonelli's 81-point F1 title lead

Kimi Antonelli holds an 81-point lead in the 2026 Formula 1 standings after eight grand prix victories, and former race engineer Rob Smedley believes the man in his ear deserves significant credit for that run. Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, Smedley pointed to race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington as a key stabilising force behind the 20-year-old Mercedes driver’s breakthrough season.

Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead the championship standings following back-to-back wins at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. His most recent victory came at the Spanish Grand Prix, extending his advantage over team-mate George Russell, who sits second in the drivers’ standings.

Asked how much credit Bonnington deserves for the campaign, Smedley was characteristically direct. “Bono is everything. Everything. The engineer should get everything,” he said, before clarifying his position. “He deserves some credit, doesn’t he? Because he keeps him on the straight and narrow. He gives him all the information he needs. But Kimi’s the pedal bracket, isn’t he? He’s the one who’s got to deliver on a Sunday afternoon.”

Former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, who co-hosts the podcast alongside Smedley and broadcaster Jake Humphrey, echoed that view. “He’s part of the feedback loop, too,” Szafnauer said of Antonelli. “He tells Bono what he wants, and Bono does it.”

Bonnington previously worked with both Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton during his long career at Mercedes, and Antonelli has spoken openly about the value of that accumulated experience. “Having someone like Bono, it’s amazing,” Antonelli said during the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix weekend. “It’s a very big privilege because he has worked with two of the best drivers in the history of Formula 1. Having someone with so much knowledge and experience really helps you — he can guide you in every situation, and so I feel really lucky to have someone like him.”

The partnership appears to be functioning as a genuine two-way exchange rather than a top-down mentorship. Smedley’s framing places the ultimate responsibility squarely with Antonelli, but the picture that emerges is of a driver and engineer whose dynamic has accelerated one of the most impressive title charges in recent F1 history.