Lewis Hamilton is preparing to move to Italy for the 2025 season. In a shocking move, the Briton decided to end his Mercedes stint. The team had been in a long-term slump, and as a result, Hamilton was no longer competitive and far away from World Title contention.
Therefore, he joined hands with the Prancing Horses to clinch the record-breaking eighth world title. However, in the past few weekends, Mercedes has not just outperformed Ferrari but has been a tough competitor to Red Bull and McLaren. Subsequently, it might create a state of distress for Hamilton, who is ready to leave the squad. However, his tension might ease if this key component joined Ferrari, too.
Will The Mercedes Race Engineer Join Ferrari With Hamilton?
The Silver Arrows have regained the momentum despite a sluggish start. The team now appears faster than the Red Bull and is surging upwards. On the other hand, Ferrari is in the midst of nowhere, with its car development in reverse gear. The Maranello squad has hit the brakes, as the team no longer competes for the top spots. Therefore, the contrasting faith of the two elite F1 teams might be a sign of worry for Hamilton. The 39-year-old racer has won six world titles with the German Marque. He is comfortable with the crew, knowing everything about the squad. Thus, the Briton would be interested in poaching some key personnel as he packs his bags for Maranello.
One such name is Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, a critical player in Hamilton’s glory. The 49-year-old engineer has witnessed Hamilton’s upsurge from his early racing days. The British engineer helped a fellow Briton dominate the racing circuit. Moreover, he got emotional after Hamilton won a race after 945 days, highlighting the closeness of the two. Thus, it was expected that Bono would leave with Hamilton.
However, according to a recent report by Formula1.Uno, Bonnington will stay with the Brackley-based outfit, strengthening their squad. Hamilton’s successor, Kimi Antonelli, is one of the biggest reasons for this decision. The young Italian prodigy has impressed everyone in the testing, and Bono would love to be his track engineer. At the same time, working with a Rookie would be a unique challenge for the veteran engineer.
Ferrari Passes On Hamilton’s Ex-Mercedes Partner: Mike Elliot Left Out Of Reunion Plans
According to a recent Formula1Uno report, Mike Elliot is a free agent and not part of the Ferrari team’s plans. Additionally, the article denied Vasseur’s interest in employing the bright engineer. Elliot has spent his whole Formula One career with Hamilton. During the Briton’s first season, he was the aerodynamics director at McLaren. Elliot was already at Mercedes when the seven-time world champion joined the team.
As a result, earlier in 2024, speculations linked the 50-year-old engineer to the Prancing Horse. It was when Vasseur was rebuilding the entire squad and looking for fresh, talented players. As a result, Scuderia Fans speculated that Vasseur may entice the former Silver Arrows staff.