After a thrilling afternoon at Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line first. It was an emotional 104th victory for the seven-time world champion, who also claimed his ninth win in front of his home crowd. Race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington had the honor of being the first to congratulate Hamilton, who couldn’t hold back his tears during his victory lap.
During the broadcast, it was clear that both Lewis Hamilton and Peter Bonnington had experienced an emotional race, both breaking into tears over the radio. Sky Sports asked the 49-year-old race engineer what made this victory so special. “First of all, I didn’t cry, there was something in my eye,” he joked. “It was just very emotional. It’s been so long since we’ve been able to win a race.”
Mercedes Struggles with Competitive Car Building Due to Ground Effect Regulations
Over the past few years, Mercedes has struggled to build a competitive car due to the so-called ground effect regulations. Hamilton had to rely on his last victory at the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP for over two years. “I have worked extremely hard since then,” explained Peter Bonnington. “We have constantly taken very small steps, but it just took a lot of time.”
Hamilton’s Feedback Leads to Victory
According to Bonnington, it was Hamilton’s feedback that ultimately led to their victory. “He told me before the last stint that the balance didn’t feel right,” the Brit explained. “As a result, we were able to adjust the car so that he could really push in the final phase. After that, it was up to him to manage the tires well.”
Peter Bonnington’s Role in Hamilton’s Success
Peter Bonnington – or ‘Bono’, as Hamilton affectionately calls him – joined Mercedes in 2013 and has since been Hamilton’s regular race engineer. If the seven-time world champion moves to Ferrari next year, this collaboration will likely come to an end.
