(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – Lewis Hamilton had actually rigorously sworn off collecting private supercars and dissolved his multi-million euro fleet some time ago. But anyone who starts as a factory driver for the Scuderia in the top class probably cannot escape the magic from Maranello in the long run. For a very specific cult model of the Italian traditional brand, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion has now thrown his resolution overboard – and fulfilled the ultimate automotive childhood dream on the classic market. The Scuderia driver shared photos on Instagram of the legendary supercar, which is being extensively restored at the factory in Maranello.
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According to reports, the car had been parked in a garage for more than 30 years before Hamilton noticed it and brought it to himself. Judging by the license plate, however, it might have already been “at home,” as the car appears to have been registered in Italy. For unknown reasons, the previous owner neglected the F40, so it gathered dust since the 1990s. It is one of just over 1,300 built F40s. The undisputed poster car of the 80s is the last model personally approved by Enzo Ferrari.
Hamilton had already hinted at how much the F40 means to him. When he officially joined Ferrari in January 2025, one of the first pictures of his new chapter showed him posing next to an F40 in Maranello. The carefully staged photo became one of the defining images of his first days at the Scuderia: Hamilton next to the legendary supercar in front of the historic Ferrari headquarters.
Soon after, the British racer revealed that he would even like to work with Ferrari on a modern interpretation of the F40. He had already thought of a name: F44, as a reference to his starting number.
“One of the things I really want to do: I want to design a Ferrari. I want to make an F44. Based on an F40, with a real manual transmission. I will work on that in the next few years.”
Until then, he is likely more than happy to own the original F40 – especially since this example is now back in top condition after weeks of restoration in Maranello. The photos shared by Hamilton show the supercar at various stages of the work. The process seems more like a comprehensive technical recommissioning with the engine removed than a quick cosmetic refresh.
As expected, Hamilton does not reveal how much he paid for the car. However, RM Sotheby’s auctioned an F40 with only 1,799 kilometers on the clock for 4.3 million euros in April.
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Motor1 says:
That Hamilton owns an F40 seems almost too fitting to be true. The Ferrari that is allowed to stay after selling his collection is an icon of the 1980s – with biturbo V8, manual transmission, and little interest in making life easy for its driver. Exactly such a car reminds us why analog supercars still have such a strong fan base today.
And even if the idea of an F44 remains a fascinating “what if,” Hamilton’s newly acquired F40 might even be the better story. It has history, origin, and the direct connection to Enzo Ferrari – something a modern reinterpretation could never fully replicate.
Seeing one of the greatest drivers in the world finally get his dream Ferrari and have it restored in Maranello feels like a fitting next chapter – for Hamilton as well as for the F40.
I’m pretty sure he won’t call it “terrible to drive,” as he once did about his Pagani Zonda.
More about the Ferrari legend
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