Formula One's new era: Kimi Antonelli rules the standings headed into Canadian GP

Kimi Antonelli goes into the Canadian Grand Prix on a high most Formula One drivers never get to taste.

To be the youngest championship leader in the sport’s decorated history must come with its own responsibilities. But Antonelli has a secret weapon in his corner, Pete “Bono” Bonnington — the Mercedes engineer that guided Lewis Hamilton to consecutive world titles.

Now the young Italian has Bono backing him and the results speak for themselves. At just 19- years old, Antonelli arrives in Montreal carrying the momentum of a driver who suddenly looks like the real deal in F1’s new era.

Three consecutive wins in China, Japan, and Miami have catapulted the Mercedes youngster to the top of the standings, while also turning him into the hottest name in the paddock.

Even more impressive is the manner in which he has done it. Antonelli has already collected three pole positions this season and converted every single one into victory. He became the youngest Grand Prix polesitter in F1 history earlier in the year before rewriting the record books again as the youngest championship leader the sport has ever seen.

That is elite company for a driver only in his second F1 season. Yet, behind the scenes, Mercedes believe the biggest key to Antonelli’s explosion has been Bonnington’s calming influence on the pit wall.

Bono is no ordinary engineer. He worked with Michael Schumacher during the German’s Mercedes comeback years before becoming the trusted voice behind Lewis Hamilton’s record-breaking success with the Silver Arrows.

Now he is shaping Formula 1’s next superstar. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff recently opened up about Bonnington’s role in Antonelli’s development, praising the veteran engineer for knowing exactly how to manage the teenager.

“Bono has learned from the greats, from Schumacher to Hamilton for many years and then now to Kimi,” Wolff said. “He's been a good mentor to him, but also a strong boss.”

Wolff even revealed how Bonnington kept Antonelli under control during the Miami Grand Prix when the youngster was flirting with track-limit penalties.

“I said to Bono, ‘one more and I'm gonna go on the radio’, and he said, ‘no, no, you leave that to me’. That shows he just knows how to handle it.”

Canada, however, presents a completely different challenge. Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve punishes even the smallest mistake. The walls are close, the braking zones are brutal, and the pressure surrounding Antonelli has never been higher.

But right now, Mercedes look like a team built around calmness and control. Antonelli has the raw speed, while Bono provides the experience and discipline. That combination could be exactly what keeps the championship leader rolling in Canada.

Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch.