Mercedes engineer mistakes rookie for Lewis Hamilton

During the qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix, a humorous mistake was made by Mercedes engineer Peter Bonnington. He accidentally called the rookie driver Kimi Antonelli "Lewis" over the radio. Bonnington had worked with Lewis Hamilton for 12 years before Hamilton switched to Ferrari, so the slip-up comes as no surprise. Antonelli, just 18 years old, is stepping into a challenging role this season alongside George Russell, following Hamilton's departure. The moment was captured during qualifying, where Bonnington quickly corrected himself after his mistake. Hamilton, meanwhile, is working with a new engineer, Riccardo Adami, after his move to Ferrari. In Shanghai, Hamilton expressed frustration regarding their new partnership and the criticism following their radio exchanges. He clarified that his comments were not disrespectful but simply aimed at focusing on driving. Hamilton pointed out that other drivers, like Max Verstappen, have had much more intense radio conversations with their engineers, yet those interactions don’t receive similar attention. He emphasized that he and Adami are just getting used to working together. On a positive note, Hamilton celebrated his new beginnings by winning the sprint race, successfully competing against fellow racers Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. This victory marks his first win as a Ferrari driver and a promising start for their partnership.