Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the British Grand Prix on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Silverstone after winning the weekend sprint race.
The 19-year-old championship leader outpaced Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.175 seconds to secure his fifth pole of the season.
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Button Praises Engineer Partnership
Former Formula 1 champion Jenson Button highlighted the calming impact of race engineer Peter Bonnington as an essential element behind the teenager's dominant performances.
"That was amazing, really impressive. It feels like nothing fazes him," said Button.
Button noted that the engineering partnership has played a vital role in accelerating the championship leader's rapid development.
"With the management of Toto and Bono, his engineer, it's helped him grow in the sport," said Button.
Bonnington previously guided both Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton during their respective tenures at Mercedes.
"Bono is a very calming character.
Kimi, at times, this year has got very excited on the radio during a race, but Bono is the calming voice that brings him back down to earth," said Button.
Button further raised questions regarding the car setup moving away from George Russell's preferences, suggesting Russell needs to explore alternative technical directions.
"I think people don't understand how important the relationship is between an engineer and a driver," said Button.
According to Button, the strong rapport shared between Antonelli and Bonnington mimics the successful partnerships seen during Hamilton's championship-winning seasons.
"Yes, I do think Bono is a really good influence on Kimi. They obviously have a good rapport, like Lewis and Bono did," said Button.
