Lewis Hamilton has suggested that he would have preferred if his long-standing Mercedes race engineer had joined him at Ferrari next year.

This week, Mercedes announced that Peter 'Bono' Bonnington, contrary to rumors of him donning red in 2025, has actually received an internal promotion.

'Bono' has served as Hamilton's race engineer for the duration of his Mercedes tenure, during which the 39-year-old driver clinched five of his drivers' championships.

"Five or seven years ago, I don't remember, Bono and I were talking about how crazy it would be to be at Ferrari together," Hamilton shared with Sky Italia at Zandvoort. "Then we didn't go into it any further."

Hamilton openly expressed his wish for Bonnington to accompany him to Maranello, describing him as "like a brother."

"I would like him to stay by my side, but I am very happy for him," Hamilton mentioned, acknowledging Bono's new role as head of race engineering.

"In general, I think everyone has to do what is best for themselves and their family," the seven-time world champion added. "It would also have been a big step for him, so I knew that it was unlikely. It would have been a drastic change in his life."

"But I'm very happy that the team is giving him the opportunity to continue to grow and I think he'll be able to show even more what he's capable of. Nothing will change between us," Hamilton insisted, "but obviously we will not work together on a daily basis anymore and that is a shame for both of us."