Race engineer Bono reveals: ‘A kick up the backside’ helped Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 Formula 1 World Champion! In just his second F1 season ever, the young Italian was crowned champion at the record age of just 20. But the road to that title was not always as easy as it might have seemed this year.

Antonelli had a virtually flawless year in 2026. A crash in Melbourne at the season-opener, the odd track-limit infringement here and there – but otherwise, Antonelli put in an impeccable season. His rookie year in 2025, by contrast, was anything but smooth. Midway through the season, during the European races, he mostly finished outside the points or retired from the race altogether. Critics were quick to speak out: was it too early for Antonelli – who was only 18 at the start of the year – to step into the big shoes of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at such a young age?

Bono reveals: A serious conversation during his first F1 season

Looking back on 2025, Antonelli’s race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington says: ‘The thing is, you learn from bad days, and that’s exactly what he’s really good at: simply learning. At the end of the European season, we had a really serious chat, and then we headed off to the overseas races again, and suddenly he just said: ‘Why didn’t you give me a kick up the backside sooner?’ It was a tough time, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and he’s really bounced back from it.”

Antonelli like a swan

Bonnington figuratively takes Antonelli by the hand during the races, guiding him verbally through difficult situations. To describe the result, Bono uses an interesting comparison: “It’s like the swan gliding across the pond. The legs are working, but it just looks as if nothing is happening. That’s one of those things you practise over the years. But it’s so easy to keep a cool head with him and keep him focused on the task at hand. He’s very good at getting back on track. As soon as things go against him, well, he just resets, concentrates and carries on.” And so, with four races to go before the end of the season (as things stand at the moment), it was already enough to secure the World Championship title…

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With his third-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest of the 36 Formula 1 world champions to date. The 20-year-old Italian is on a record-breaking run. The Tifosi are dreaming of Antonelli in a Ferrari.

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