Lewis Hamilton’s long-time race engineer at Mercedes, Pete Bonnington, known fondly as Bono, became the subject of a recent viral moment on social media that F1 fans can’t stop talking about. During the celebration of Hamilton’s final day on track with Mercedes, Bono stepped out wearing a flashy Tommy Hilfiger outfit that instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.
Adding to the fun, Hamilton recently shared a video on Instagram capturing the team’s reaction to Bono’s bold fashion choice. The clip shows Bono walking into the room confidently in the outfit, only to be greeted with laughter and lighthearted jabs from his colleagues.
The seven-time world champion, who couldn’t contain his laughter, said, “That’s awesome,” before joking, “It’s like you’re someone from a strange boy band.”
As the chuckles continued in the room, another team member commented, saying, “The more we look at it, the better it looks,” suggesting that Bonnington’s daring look was starting to grow on them.
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What made the moment even funnier was the context behind the outfit. The striking Tommy Hilfiger ensemble was initially one of Hamilton’s own outfits. Known for his bold fashion sense, the #44 driver pulled off the look effortlessly, however, when Bono — with his stockier build and muscular arms — tried it on, the result was undeniably comedic.
Despite the laughs and the banter, Bono embraced the attention like a pro. Later in the day, he even walked out wearing the same outfit as the media captured the moment, proving that besides being a great race engineer, he was also a fantastic team player who could take jokes sportingly.
