“Is it April 1st already?” - Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer Peter Bonnington’s reaction to his Ferrari move disclosed by Mercedes chief

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff disclosed Lewis Hamilton's race engineer Peter Bonnington's reaction to the British driver's shock move to Ferrari.

The motorsports community was shaken to its core when on Thursday, February 1, it was officially confirmed that seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton will depart from Mercedes, his team of 11 years, at the end of the 2024 season. The 39-year-old is set to join Scuderia Ferrari on a multi-year deal in 2025, where he will partner alongside long-time Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.

With his departure now imminent, chaos surrounds the Mercedes camp. Amid rising speculations of Lewis Hamilton's potential replacements at the Brackley-based outfit, Toto Wolff addressed the media on Friday, where he divulged the intriguing reaction of Bonnington.

Peter Bonnington, affectionately known as Bono, joined Mercedes in 2013 as Lewis Hamilton's race engineer and has shared a close friendship with the British driver throughout their successful partnership at Mercedes. Now, with Hamilton's impending departure, Wolff shared Bonnington's initial response. Toto Wolff said (via PlanetF1):

"I think this is a discussion that everyone needs to have in the months to come. As much as I’ve spoken with Bono already, when I told him, he said ‘Is it April the first?’ That’s something which we will discuss in the future in the next couple [of months]."

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Toto Wolff holds no grudge with Lewis Hamilton as the latter parts ways with Mercedes

Wolff acknowledged the seven-time World Champion's need for a change and a new challenge, characterizing the move to Ferrari as a bold decision. He stated (via BBC):

"He (Hamilton) needed a new challenge - he was looking for a different environment and it was maybe a last possibility to do something else. We knew by signing a short-term contract it could be of benefit to both sides. He is taking the option to exit. We totally respect that you can change your mind. Switching to Ferrari, maybe rolling the dice a bit, I can follow that decision."

Wolff harbors no ill feelings towards Hamilton for choosing a new challenge and seeking a different environment after over a decade with Mercedes. He added:

"I will always respect the difficult situation he faced. In the future we can discuss whether this could have been done in a different way or not, but I will hold no grudge."

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will reveal the team's livery for one final time later this month on February 14.