Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer Bono reveals ‘shut up’ key moment at Silverstone

Peter Bonnington knew that Lewis Hamilton was on course to win the F1 British Grand Prix when he received a ‘shut up’ radio message.

Bono has been the race engineer alongside Hamilton throughout his Mercedes career, for all the glory and for the past two-and-a-half years of winless agony.

Hamilton ended that hoodoo at his final F1 British Grand Prix in a Mercedes before leaving for Ferrari next year.

His exchange with Bono as he crossed the finishing line was emotional.

Bono joked to Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz: “I wouldn’t say crying! I had something in my eye!

“It’s an emotional one. It’s been a long, long time. He and I have been working hard, trying to get back there.

“Baby steps. It has taken a lot of them, so far.”

Bono explained the key to victory: “The feedback he gave me, on the initial stint balance, it wasn’t great.

“We knew where we needed to correct the car. I think we put the car in a really good position for the final stint, to allow him to push.

“You knew the front tyre would be weak. So you had to make sure you’ve got enough front end in there to protect it.

“He does a great job. When it comes down to the wire, he’s the one who will manage the tyres and get you to the end.”

Even when Hamilton took command of the British Grand Prix, he had Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in his rear-view mirror.

At this stage, even Bono was not fully convinced that Hamilton had enough left in his tyres to fend off his nemesis.

Bono admitted: “I wouldn’t say zero doubt!

“But when he gets the bit between his teeth…

“As soon as I get told to shut up, I know the game is on.”

Jenson Button insisted that Hamilton’s alliance with Bono has been crucial for his career achievements, and his comeback to win a grand prix for the first time since 2021.

Button said: “You need that relationship with an engineer, that understanding.

“Because racing driver language is weird. And engineer language is weird.

“Having that relationship and understanding makes a big difference when it comes to strategy and set-up.

“Lewis has got that with Bono. It changes next year…”