Lewis Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari has brought a huge amount of change to the Formula 1 paddock. Beyond his change of car and team, the British driver has parted ways with his long-term race engineer, Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, and along with him, the iconic catchphrase, “hammertime.”
Since his first season with Mercedes in 2013, the seven-time champion asked Bonnington to use the term ‘hammertime’ instead of asking him to push. The phrase quickly became synonymous with the British driver’s dominance, becoming a fan-favourite moment during races. However, as their professional partnership has now come to an end, Hamilton’s Ferrari engineer, Riccardo Adami, will need to come up with a new equivalent.
Speaking about his final race with Mercedes in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton emotionally recounted Bonnington’s last-ever “It’s hammertime” radio call. He explained whilst holding back tears:
“I noticed that today. When he told me, I was like ‘I can’t even remember the last time he told me hammertime’.
“I remember I told Bono to say hammertime back in the first year together. I was like, ‘Don’t just tell me to go faster, tell me it’s hammertime and I know what it is’.
“What a rollercoaster ride I’ve had with Bono. He’s been one of my closest friends for many years.
“It’s something I didn’t expect to have because he worked with Michael Schumacher—he’s worked with great drivers and for the longest time he’s stood by me.
“For an engineer to stick by someone, as frustrating and painful as it can sometimes be—he’s stood by me every single day without fail.”
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, with Peter Bonnington, Senior Race Engineer, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Addressing the speculation over whether he would bring the phrase with him to Ferrari, Hamilton confirmed during pre-season testing:
“I haven’t spoken to my engineer about that.
“I don’t know how it would sound with an Italian accent, so I’ll have to find an Italian word, probably. We’ll probably find something new.”
Why Bonnington Stayed at Mercedes
After Hamilton announced his surprising signing with Ferrari, many considered the possibility of Bonnington following him to the Maranello-based squad. However, it was announced later in 2024 that the British engineer had taken a promotion at Mercedes, solidifying his long-term future with the Silver Arrows.
Speaking about Bonnington’s decision, Hamilton explained at the time:
“I think like seven years ago maybe, or five years ago, something like that, I remember there was like a, probably a joke, that it would be amazing to be [at Ferrari] one day, but no, we’ve not had any discussions about [Bono joining me there].
“I’m so happy for Bono. I really just ultimately wanted him to do whatever was best for him. Where he is in his life, he had to make the best call for what would be best for him and for his family.
“That doesn’t change anything, really, between us. We don’t get to work together, next to each other, every day, which will be sad for both of us – it’s going to be emotional. But we’re always going to be in each other’s lives. Bono’s my brother.
“I’m really happy that the team have taken him on, and he’s got this great opportunity to grow more within the team, because he’s such a great asset for the team.”
