“Can’t Let Anyone Say Hammertime”: Lewis Hamilton Gives First Task to His Ferrari Race Engineer

Over the years, Lewis Hamilton’s “Hammer-time” war cry, made famous by race engineer Peter Bonnington, became increasingly popular. This is why, when the Briton’s departure from Mercedes was announced, many wondered if it would mark the end of the iconic call.

Bonnington would often remind Hamilton that it was “Hammer-time”, particularly during pit stop phases and the closing stages of a race, when he would need the seven-time World Champion to push hard. However, Bonnington won’t be Hamilton’s aide next season onwards, with the 39-year-old moving to Ferrari.

After his final race with Mercedes in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, Hamilton admitted that he wouldn’t let anyone else use Bonnington’s call with him. Instead, he had something other planned out. “I can’t let anybody else say Hammertime to me, so I have to come up with some other name, some other word,” the #44 driver said.

Hamilton‘s new race engineer at Ferrari will face their first task: coming up with a phrase to signal the need for urgency.

New chapter in Hamilton’s career

At Ferrari, Hamilton’s race engineer will be Riccardo Adami, who has worked with Carlos Sainz for the past four years. The Italian is no stranger to working with world championship-caliber drivers, having been Sebastian Vettel’s voice during his tenure at Ferrari.

Living up to Hamilton’s iconic partnership with Bonnington will be no easy task. Together, they formed an unstoppable force at Mercedes, with Bonnington guiding Hamilton to six of his Drivers’ Championship titles and 84 race victories overall.

Their collaboration wasn’t purely professional—it was deeply personal, built on trust and mutual respect cultivated over more than a decade.

The origin and legacy of ‘Hammertime’

The word “Hammertime” originated from the British driver’s frustration during his first year at Mercedes in 2013. Bono would tell him to push during critical moments, but Hamilton, already driving at the limit, wanted a phrase that signaled the need for maximum attack.

Inspired by MC Hammer’s hit song “U Can’t Touch This” and his own driver designation, “HAM,” Lewis suggested that Bono use “Hammertime” instead. Over the years, it became a hallmark of their race-day strategy and, by some accounts, one of the most feared team radios in F1.

Beyond the radio calls and race victories, Bono stood by Hamilton during the highs and lows, becoming a friend and by Hamilton’s own admission, a brother.