Very few drivers have come close to etching a legacy in F1 such as Lewis Hamilton’s. The seven-time world champion created a dynasty with Mercedes since the turn of the turbo-hybrid era of the sport. Throughout that legendary partnership, the phrase ‘Hammertime’ has become synonymous with the #44 driver and his race engineer, Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington.
Speaking to the media after his final race with the Silver Arrows at the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP, Hamilton retold the origin story of that iconic phrase. “I remember telling them back in 2013 — he [Bono] would tell me time to push and I said, ‘next time tell me its Hammertime’ and then he’s just never stopped,” he explained.
During Hamilton‘s heyday with the Brackley-based team, ‘Hammertime’ had become a classic. Every time that radio message was broadcast, the fans and drivers alike knew that there was no stopping the #44 driver.
Lewis Hamilton: “When he [Bono] said it was hammer time I did notice in the moment I was like ‘that’s the last time I’m gonna hear that.” It really clicked for me in that moment.”
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— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) December 8, 2024
And despite a tough season in 2024, that catchphrase was heard one last time on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. As Hamilton was finishing up his first stint on the white-walled hard compound of tires, Bono came onto the radio to signal the Briton to push for one last time.
How Hammertime delivered Hamilton’s final Mercedes glory
Hamilton began the Grand Prix on a set of hard tires which was an alternate strategy to the rest of the grid. The team chose this because the Briton had been knocked out of Q1 on Saturday and they believed that the W15 had the pace to mount a comeback late in the race.
The #44 driver then went flat out on his in lap — inspired by Bono’s final calling of the iconic ‘Hammertime’ — and after his pitstop, he was on a charge on fresh mediums while the rest of the grid was on hards. He then went on to deliver a drive that was dubbed as a true champion’s drive by many in the paddock.
With only a handful of laps to go, the Briton pushed like a madman on his final stint with the Silver Arrows. It all came to pass on the very last lap of the race when Hamilton pulled a move around the outside of his teammate, George Russell to seal a P4 finish.
