Juan Pablo Montoya sees Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington as an important factor behind Kimi Antonelli’s strong start to the season. The Italian had a difficult beginning to his Formula 1 career after a crash during his first free practice at Monza, but has since worked his way up to being one of the title contenders. According to the Colombian, Bonnington plays a role in this. “I think Bono is a big part of that,” Montoya says.
Read more Brundle warns Russell: ‘Stop Antonelli’
Kimi Antonelli succeeded Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes last season and immediately faced a lot of pressure. During his first official appearance in Formula 1, the young Italian crashed, but he has since stood on the podium several times and is leading the championship ahead of his teammate George Russell. Juan Pablo Montoya especially sees the influence of his race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington in Antonelli’s development. “I think Bono has won so much with Lewis Hamilton and now he is shaping Kimi and working with him. I think Bono is a big part of that,” Montoya says in the Chequered Flag Podcast.
‘Trying something different’
Besides Bonnington’s experience, Montoya sees another important reason why Antonelli stands out from other drivers. “What really makes Kimi good is his aggressiveness. He is determined. When you watch him in qualifying, you see how much of the track he uses compared to others. He uses the entire circuit,” the Colombian says.
Read more Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout aims for success in Indy 500: ‘Top five is achievable’
The former Formula 1 driver especially sees a difference with Russell. According to Montoya, Russell is currently unable to keep up with Antonelli’s pace. “I was surprised when I looked at George. He has the videos, the data, and everything to see where Kimi gains time and how he drives. At some point, you have to try something different. Whether you feel comfortable with it is another story, but you have to at least try it for a lap to see how you can make it work,” Montoya concludes.
Read more Cadillac accelerates development race, comes with second upgrade package in Canada
Read everything about GP Canada here
