'Band back together': Hamilton and Bono celebrate on Chinese GP podium

Hamilton being photographed in Ferrari red on F1 grid looking at circular inset image of Bonnington in Mercedes gear — Photo: © IMAGO

Chinese Grand Prix

'Band back together': Hamilton and Bono celebrate on Chinese GP podium after historic race victory

Bonnington was Hamilton's race engineer for over a decade

Chris Deeley

Sunday 15 March 2026 12:57

Lewis Hamilton got to meet up with a man he's spent the last 18 months trying to find a replacement for, after the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.

Peter 'Bono' Bonnington was Hamilton's race engineer for more than a decade at Mercedes, the pair combining for six of the Brit's seven world championships before his departure for Ferrari at the start of last year.

Bonnington remained at Mercedes after his driver's departure, becoming the race engineer for Hamilton's replacement Kimi Antonelli, who won his first grand prix on Sunday in Shanghai.

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Hamilton secured his first podium for his new team in the same race and, with Bonnington selected as Mercedes' staff representative on the podium to collect the winning constructors' trophy, the pair were reunited on the podium for the first time in a long while.

The pair also embraced after the race, after Hamilton had congratulated his Mercedes replacement on the victory.

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Bono: Chinese GP podium was a hell of a moment

Bonnington spoke to Sky Sports after the race and was asked if shed any tears over the result, replying: “No, not really, I was just relieved. He put the wind up me with that lock up and I just thought ‘come on’.

Asked where the podium ranked in his career, he admitted: “It’s pretty good. I can’t complain. To have Lewis there with Kimi, it was a hell of a moment and one that I’ll cherish.

Smiling, he then added: “It felt like it was getting the band back together, but not the band – I don’t know what the analogy is there! It was really nice, and touching. Lewis is a great sportsman as ever.”

Bonnington then went on to compare the teenage Antonelli to his former drivers Hamilton and Michael Schumacher – the two men who share the F1 record for most world championships with seven apiece.

"I read a book about the 10,000-hour rule many, many years ago. And I started to really strongly believe it, thinking, oh, if we all had enough practice, we'd be good enough.

"And then I met the likes of Michael, I met the likes of Lewis, and then you realise, actually no, there is the extra step, that extra 10th or two, and that's what Kimi's got, he's got that extra 10th or two."

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Lewis Hamilton Kimi Antonelli Chinese Grand Prix Peter Bonnington