Rob Smedley Highlights Peter Bonnington's Role in Kimi Antonelli's F1 Success

Former Formula 1 race engineer Rob Smedley has stated that race engineer Peter "Bono" Bonnington plays an essential role in Kimi Antonelli's 2026 F1 title campaign. However, Smedley emphasized that the Mercedes driver is the one who must ultimately deliver results on the track.

Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead the standings after securing back-to-back victories at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. In his second season in the series, the Italian driver earned his eighth grand prix win at the Spanish Grand Prix and built an 81-point lead over second-placed team-mate George Russell.

Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast alongside co-hosts Otmar Szafnauer and Jake Humphrey, Smedley noted that Bonnington deserves credit for keeping Antonelli on the right track and providing essential information. Szafnauer, a former Alpine team principal, added that Antonelli also actively contributes to the feedback process by communicating his needs to his engineer.

Bonnington previously worked with Formula 1 drivers Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. During the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Antonelli described working with Bonnington as a privilege, noting that Bonnington's extensive knowledge and experience help guide him through new scenarios and learning experiences.