Seeing seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton finally return to winning ways last weekend made even his fiercest rivals happy for him.
Lewis Hamilton ended a 686-day wait for a Formula 1 grand prix victory with a commanding performance at the Barcelona Grand Prix, crossing the finish line nearly 20 seconds ahead of George Russell.
While Russell, Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate, has struggled to remain in title contention during the 2026 season and has not won since the opening race in Australia, Hamilton’s resurgence has transformed him into a genuine championship challenger. After his victory in Spain, the Ferrari driver declared: “Nothing is impossible.”
A memorable all-British podium
Hamilton’s triumph was made even more significant by the presence of fellow Britons George Russell and reigning world champion Lando Norris alongside him on the podium. It was the first time since the 1968 United States Grand Prix that British drivers occupied all three podium positions, following the achievement of Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, and John Surtees.
Both Russell and Norris congratulated Hamilton, whom they admired growing up. However, one of the most enthusiastic reactions came from Nico Rosberg, Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate and fierce championship rival.
Rosberg embraces ‘Hammer Time’
Rosberg, the 2016 Formula 1 world champion, is known not only for his intense rivalry with Hamilton but also for his work as a commentator and analyst. Fluent in several languages, he frequently appears on broadcasts for Sky Italia, Sky Deutschland, and Sky Sports F1.
During his commentary duties for Sky Italia at the Barcelona race, Rosberg celebrated Hamilton’s charge to victory by using the famous phrase associated with Hamilton’s longtime Mercedes race engineer, Peter “Bono” Bonnington.
On lap 38 of the 66-lap race, Hamilton moved into the lead while running on medium tyres. Soon afterward, his Ferrari race engineer Carlo Santi whom Hamilton recently described as his “Italian Bono” encouraged him over team radio, stressing that the next few laps would be crucial and urging him to push to secure the win.
Responding to the moment, Rosberg exclaimed on the Italian broadcast: “Hammer time! Hammer time!” before adding that it was Hamilton’s opportunity to claim his first victory with Ferrari.
A symbolic reunion
Hamilton ultimately converted his advantage into a comfortable win. After the race, he was interviewed by Rosberg, creating a striking moment given their complicated history. The encounter was especially poignant at Barcelona, the same circuit where the two famously collided on the opening lap a decade earlier during the height of Mercedes’ internal rivalry.
Their post-race exchange highlighted how far both drivers have come since those tense championship battles, with Rosberg now among those celebrating Hamilton’s remarkable return to the top step of the podium.