‘No more hammertime’ – Lewis Hamilton’s ‘amazing’ first Ferrari radio message as unseen footage confirms shock reunion
Lewis Hamilton is living one of his racing dreams at Ferrari as he gets to grip with a new voice in his ear for the first time in over a decade. Hamilton has taken part in his first test drive for the Formula 1 giants since his blockbuster move from Mercedes was confirmed last year. Hamilton has had his first taste of life on the track for FerrariGetty The seven-time world champion drove a 2023 Ferrari F1 car in cold and damp conditions around their test track on Wednesday. However, the warmth in Hamilton’s voice was evident over the radio as he took his new wheels around the Fiorano circuit. On Friday, Ferrari released additional footage from the event which showed the Brit’s new race engineer, Ricciardo Adami, carrying out a radio check. Hamilton replies: “Wow. Whew. It’s a… wow. That was amazing.” His new race engineer during his debut season at Ferrari is someone who has plenty of experience in winning world titles. F1 fans might take a little bit longer than Hamilton to get to grips with a new voice in Hamilton’s ear for the first time since 2013. One wrote on X: “I was hoping to hear “Bono! ….. Sorry what’s your name again?”, while another said: “Get bono myann. It feels strange!” Hamilton and his former long-time engineer Peter Bonnington, or Bono, were the most famous driver-race engineer combination in motorsport having joined forces at Mercedes in 2013. The latter was synonymous for his ‘Hammer Time’ catchphrase – a not-so-discreet call for maximum attack during a race. Hamilton has already confirmed he has no interest in the saying following him to Ferrari, with Bono staying behind at Mercedes. View Tweet: https://t.co/MsOwX6vVTW Bono’s catchphrase is a nod to the iconic MC Hammer hit ‘U Can’t Touch This’ “I don’t know if we’re going to have Hammer Time ever again,” he said last year. “I’ll have to get Bono to give me a call or something… “I can’t let anybody else say Hammer Time to me.” Hamilton has been reunited at Ferrari with Angela Cullen, as first reported on by talkSPORT, who was spotted in little-seen footage shared from the garage. Among his new staff members is race engineer Adami, whose voice was the other one heard on the radio message shared by the Prancing Horse. Adami first worked in F1 in 2002 when he joined Minardi as a data analysis engineer before getting a promotion as a race engineer in 2005, when they were renamed to Scuderia Toro Rosso after Red Bull’s purchase. Angela Cullen (right) was spotted alongside Ferrari team principal Fred VasseurX/F1 He will be working alongside Riccardo Adami from this seasonGetty Speaking after his initial preparations for the 2025 season, Hamilton described the experience as ‘one of the best feelings of my life’. Ferrari also recalled the 40-year-old’s first day at their Maranello headquarters and revealed who will work with him in the paddock. Following an installation lap, Hamilton returned to the pits and spoke ‘to his race engineer Riccardo Adami over the radio’. The Italian continued in the role for ten years, during which time he played a key role in Sebastian Vettel’s four consecutive title wins. Vettel was crowned world champion from 2010 to 2013, with his first triumph making him the youngest-ever winning driver. Speaking in an interview in 2020, the German was full of praise for his team engineer after four straight years of success together. “I think Riccardo will stay at Ferrari, we’ve known each other forever and he’s a friend,” he told Italian outlet Corriere della Sera. “He’s one of those who represents the values of Ferrari, if the brand is unique it’s because there are people like that in Maranello.” Adami worked with Vettel during his world title wins from 2010 to 2013Getty He is now in his tenth year as a race engineer at FerrariGetty Adami departed Toro Rosso for Ferrari in 2015 alongside Vettel, who spent five years with the team before moving to Aston Martin. The former remained though and became the race engineer for Carlos Sainz from 2021 until last season. He will now be tasked with supporting one of F1’s most successful drivers in Hamilton, whose 105 Grand Prix wins is the most ever. Ferrari’s first race with car no.44 on the track will come at the Australian Grand Prix in March. Hamilton will then compete in his home race at Silverstone four months later in the hopes of winning a record-breaking eighth title.
Lewis Hamilton is living one of his racing dreams at Ferrari as he gets to grip with a new voice in his ear for the first time in over a decade.
Hamilton has taken part in his first test drive for the Formula 1 giants since his blockbuster move from Mercedes was confirmed last year.
The seven-time world champion drove a 2023 Ferrari F1 car in cold and damp conditions around their test track on Wednesday.
However, the warmth in Hamilton’s voice was evident over the radio as he took his new wheels around the Fiorano circuit.
On Friday, Ferrari released additional footage from the event which showed the Brit’s new race engineer, Ricciardo Adami, carrying out a radio check.
Hamilton replies: “Wow. Whew. It’s a… wow. That was amazing.”
His new race engineer during his debut season at Ferrari is someone who has plenty of experience in winning world titles.
F1 fans might take a little bit longer than Hamilton to get to grips with a new voice in Hamilton’s ear for the first time since 2013.
One wrote on X: “I was hoping to hear “Bono! ….. Sorry what’s your name again?”, while another said: “Get bono myann. It feels strange!”
Hamilton and his former long-time engineer Peter Bonnington, or Bono, were the most famous driver-race engineer combination in motorsport having joined forces at Mercedes in 2013.
The latter was synonymous for his ‘Hammer Time’ catchphrase – a not-so-discreet call for maximum attack during a race.
Hamilton has already confirmed he has no interest in the saying following him to Ferrari, with Bono staying behind at Mercedes.
“I don’t know if we’re going to have Hammer Time ever again,” he said last year.
“I’ll have to get Bono to give me a call or something…
“I can’t let anybody else say Hammer Time to me.”
Hamilton has been reunited at Ferrari with Angela Cullen, as first reported on by talkSPORT, who was spotted in little-seen footage shared from the garage.
Among his new staff members is race engineer Adami, whose voice was the other one heard on the radio message shared by the Prancing Horse.
Adami first worked in F1 in 2002 when he joined Minardi as a data analysis engineer before getting a promotion as a race engineer in 2005, when they were renamed to Scuderia Toro Rosso after Red Bull’s purchase.
Speaking after his initial preparations for the 2025 season, Hamilton described the experience as ‘one of the best feelings of my life’.
Ferrari also recalled the 40-year-old’s first day at their Maranello headquarters and revealed who will work with him in the paddock.
Following an installation lap, Hamilton returned to the pits and spoke ‘to his race engineer Riccardo Adami over the radio’.
The Italian continued in the role for ten years, during which time he played a key role in Sebastian Vettel’s four consecutive title wins.
Vettel was crowned world champion from 2010 to 2013, with his first triumph making him the youngest-ever winning driver.
Speaking in an interview in 2020, the German was full of praise for his team engineer after four straight years of success together.
“I think Riccardo will stay at Ferrari, we’ve known each other forever and he’s a friend,” he told Italian outlet Corriere della Sera.
“He’s one of those who represents the values of Ferrari, if the brand is unique it’s because there are people like that in Maranello.”
Adami departed Toro Rosso for Ferrari in 2015 alongside Vettel, who spent five years with the team before moving to Aston Martin.
The former remained though and became the race engineer for Carlos Sainz from 2021 until last season.
He will now be tasked with supporting one of F1’s most successful drivers in Hamilton, whose 105 Grand Prix wins is the most ever.
Ferrari’s first race with car no.44 on the track will come at the Australian Grand Prix in March.
Hamilton will then compete in his home race at Silverstone four months later in the hopes of winning a record-breaking eighth title.
