Lewis Hamilton has revealed how hearing race engineer Pete Bonnington fire him up with their famous "hammertime" catchphrase one last time was a poignant moment as he departs Mercedes for Ferrari.
Hamilton and his long-time engineer Bonnington, or Bono for short, forged a formidable partnership at Mercedes that led to six drivers' titles and helped the Brackley-based squad win eight constructors' crowns on the trot between 2014-21.
Their trademark "hammertime" phrase, used by Bono when Hamilton needed to pump out a string of qualifying laps during a race, soon made it into the public domain but saw less use this season as Hamilton and Mercedes went through a tough campaign.
Their partnership has now come to a conclusion, with Hamilton leaving for Ferrari and Bonnington staying at Mercedes. But, as the seven-time world champion ended his stint with the team with a gritty comeback drive from 16th to fourth in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton said getting fired up by his race engineer one last time was a poignant moment.
When asked by Autosport if hearing "hammertime" one last time geed him up even more than it usually did, he smiled: “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’."
Hamilton paid tribute to his long-time ally, who he said has become one of his best friends over the years.
"What a rollercoaster ride I’ve had with Bono," Hamilton added. "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.”
Watch: McLaren Secures Constructors' Title as Norris Takes the Win! - Abu Dhabi GP Race Reaction
