Lewis Hamilton has admitted he “would have loved to continue” with race engineer Peter Bonnington at Ferrari.
Bonnington, often known as ‘Bono’, has been promoted to go of race engineering at Mercedes and won’t be a part of Hamilton at Ferrari subsequent season.
The 49-year-old will stay as Hamilton’s race engineer for the ultimate 10 races of this season and can then be the race engineer for one in all Mercedes’ two drivers subsequent yr – George Russell or Hamilton’s alternative, which is predicted to be Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“I would have loved to have continued with Bono, of course,” mentioned Hamilton forward of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, stay on Sky Sports activities F1.
“We now have an awesome relationship and also you heard it at Silverstone, he is like a brother. However I am actually, actually comfortable for him. For me, I believe it is nearly individuals doing no matter’s greatest for you.
“Packing up and leaving, him and his associate, it impacts each of them, so that they needed to do no matter is correct for him.
“I knew it might be an unlikely situation that he would go together with me as a result of it is such a drastic change for his life. However I am actually comfortable that the crew have acknowledged and made modifications, so he can develop extra.
“I think he’ll now be able to show them even more of the great things he can do. But either way, we’re going to be family forever. We’ve spoken about it and we just want to make sure we finish on a high.”
Bonnington was Michael Schumacher’s race engineer at Mercedes for 18 months earlier than changing into the voice in Hamilton’s ear when he joined the Silver Arrows in 2013.
He turned well-known for his “it’s hammer time Lewis” radio message to Hamilton once they have been preventing for victories, which was a sign to push laborious earlier than a pit cease.
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Lewis Hamilton wins the British GP and is left emotional on the crew radio straight after.
“When I joined this team, I just came in and Bono was the head engineer at the time,” mentioned Hamilton.
“It’s got to be someone you get on with, it’s got to be someone you are able to build a relationship with and trust.
“The subsequent one, that is going to be a discovery course of. I will know early on whether or not it may work or not. However I believe it is nearly speaking.”
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With Formulation 1 set to return from its summer time break, we glance again at how the season has panned out to date.
Hamilton: We did not count on to be preventing on the entrance
Hamilton inherited victory final outing on the Belgian Grand Prix after his Mercedes team-mate George Russell was disqualified for an underweight automotive.
The seven-time world champion additionally received at Silverstone, the place Bonnington joined him on the rostrum, to finish his two-and-a-half yr winless streak.
He is sixth within the Drivers’ Championship, 127 factors behind Max Verstappen and Mercedes are 142 factors adrift of Crimson Bull within the Constructors’ Championship.
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As Formulation 1 returns to Zandvoort after the summer time shutdown, try what the drivers have been as much as throughout their holidays.
Hamilton, who has by no means received at Zandvoort because it returned to the F1 calendar in 2021, says his goal is to get near the highest three.
“When we started off the season, I know so many of us in the team didn’t expect…we didn’t know when we would get back to top performance and be fighting at the front, we thought it was such a long shot,” he mentioned.
“But everyone back at the factory just worked so hard and we now know what the car needs and we’ve got it in a much happier place. And to drive it, the car is much more of a racing car now and I’m generally really enjoying driving it. So I think it’s reflecting that.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s stay Dutch GP schedule
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Forward of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, we glance again at Max Verstappen’s three consecutive wins round Zandvoort.
Friday August 23
9.05am: F1 Academy: Observe One
11am: Dutch GP Observe One (session begins 11.30am)
2.45pm: Dutch GP Observe Two (session begins 3pm)
4.25pm: F1 Academy: Observe Two
5.15pm: The F1 Present
Saturday August 24
9.10am: F1 Academy: Qualifying
10.15am: Dutch GP Observe Three (session begins 10.30am)
1pm: Dutch GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: DUTCH GP QUALIFYING
4pm: F1 Academy: Race One
Sunday August 25
9.40am: F1 Academy: Race Two
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP build-up
2pm: The DUTCH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Dutch GP response
Formulation 1 returns after the summer time break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort this weekend, stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime.
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