In his quest for seven world titles, Lewis Hamilton received the most assistance from Peter Bonnington. Since Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, the British Engineer has served as his racing engineer.
It’s common to refer to Bonnington as Bono. On the team radio, Hamilton refers to him by this moniker. During races, he is in charge of communicating important details and tactics to the driver.
Bono worked with Hamilton for a period of time, assisting the Mercedes driver to win 82 races and 6 world championships. The pair is now the most successful driver-engineer team in the annals of Formula One.
Lewis Hamilton becomes the first driver in Formula 1 history to score a podium in 17 consecutive seasons!
Another record 🐐 pic.twitter.com/QIt78dbrEx
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) April 2, 2023
No one, according to Hamilton, knows him better than his race engineer. But even Bonnington did not anticipate the phenomenal success the British driver would experience after switching from McLaren to the Silver Arrows.
Peter Bonnington Praises Lewis Hamilton for His Success
During Jenson Button’s championship-winning 2009 season with Brawn, Peter Bonnington worked as the team’s engineer prior to Lewis Hanilton’s arrival. He worked as Michael Schumacher’s engineer when Mercedes acquired Brawn GP. Later was chosen to collaborate with Hamilton. Bono had no idea, though, how successful they would be as a team.
In a video message to the 103 GP champion, he said, “Since 2013, haven’t we come a long way?” Every time, we would spend the entire weekend trying to figure out how we were going to win the race. You just delivered the things outside.
200+ GP together for them !
P.S Lewis' smile when Bono started talking 🥺 pic.twitter.com/h7XRsY1PsD
— out of context Peter Bonnington (@bonotires) April 2, 2023
When Bonnington initially arrived in Brackley in 2013, he confesses that he was extremely anxious to meet the driver. The engineer asserts that he actually set a very low bar for the incoming driver.
He added, We had no idea what we would accomplish as a team. It’s something that is impossible to comprehend. I never imagined winning one or two championships, but look how far we’ve come.
Hamilton Explains the Origins of Bono S Iconic Radio Call
Two distinctive radio calls made by Peter Bonnington have made him famous. Get in there Lewis, he can be heard yelling as Lewis Hamilton passes the finish line, urging the driver on to victory. Another is “It’s hammer time,” which is frequently uttered when a motorist needs to accelerate if there is a chance to overtake.
The seven-time winner, however, admitted that the latter was an invention of his own. Years ago, Bono would announce on the radio that Lewis should push, the man remarked. I am pushing, therefore it was frustrating for me.
Lewis feat Bono-Hammer Time. #LewisHamilton𓃵 #PeterBonnington #f1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/mUHCvWb475
— Oliv🇫🇷 🇮🇹 (@FatCatMilli) November 11, 2022
In response, Bono stated that it was time to push because he had a good window of opportunity. The statement was taken from one of the driver’s favorite songs, and the driver requested him to say it.
I told him, “Next time, tell me it’s hammer time,” he continued. So when he says it, I know to pay attention and not make any mistakes. Both sentences haven’t been heard on the driver’s radio in a while. We might hear the infamous calls from Bonnington soon, though, as Mercedes continue to improve.
