Lewis Hamilton arriving at Monza in a Ferrari F40 was not intended simply as a spectacular entrance. For the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, driving one of Maranello’s most iconic road cars to Ferrari’s home Grand Prix was a tribute to the Prancing Horse and a way of bringing part of its history back into the present.
The story behind Hamilton’s F40 makes the moment even more personal. The British driver had searched for years for the right example, refusing to settle for just any car. When he eventually found one that met his unusually strict requirements, an unexpected discovery connected it directly with the number that has defined his Formula 1 career.
Lewis Hamilton’s long search for the right Ferrari F40
“This is the car of my dreams,” Lewis Hamilton said, and his description was far from a throwaway remark.
Hamilton had wanted an F40 for years, but he was searching for a particularly authentic example. He wanted extremely low mileage, original paintwork and no compromised details. Finding such a car appeared almost impossible until the right one eventually emerged.
The F40 had been bought by its owner, driven from Maranello to their home — a journey of only around 60 kilometres — and then parked permanently. It had effectively remained frozen in time, untouched and preserved rather than regularly driven.
Hamilton described it almost like an artefact. According to the Ferrari driver, even the passenger door had never been opened, the carbon fibre remained in its original condition and the car had undergone no alterations.
The story adds another dimension to Lewis Hamilton’s memorable Ferrari F40 arrival at Monza, which immediately attracted attention as the seven-time champion began Ferrari’s home Grand Prix weekend.
The number 44 discovery that surprised Lewis Hamilton
Once the car had been found, the search took an unexpected turn. When technicians dismantled the F40 to inspect it, they discovered that its engine carried the number 44 — the same number Hamilton has raced with for years in Formula 1.
For Hamilton, the coincidence made an already special car feel even more significant.
“You couldn’t even plan it,” he said.
At that point, the F40 became more than simply a purchase. The number created a symbolic connection between Hamilton’s own racing identity and Ferrari’s history, almost as though the car had been waiting for him.
Why Hamilton restored the Ferrari F40 instead of preserving it untouched
Finding such an original F40 created another dilemma: should it be preserved like a work of art or restored so that it could actually be driven?
A car in such untouched condition could easily have been treated as a museum piece, remaining stationary as a perfectly preserved reminder of another era. Hamilton spent considerable time considering what to do.
“It took me a while to decide,” he admitted.
Eventually, the Ferrari driver chose to bring the car back to life. His objective was not simply to restore it for display, but to make it usable again and drive it to Monza for the Scuderia’s home race.
“I wanted to drive it to come here,” Hamilton explained.
That decision turned the journey into something more meaningful than an eye-catching arrival. By bringing an F40 to Monza, Hamilton was taking a tangible piece of Ferrari history into the heart of Ferrari’s Formula 1 weekend, in front of supporters for whom the Prancing Horse represents far more than simply a racing team.
The symbolism fits naturally into a weekend dominated by Ferrari tradition, passion and the Tifosi, with Hamilton also speaking directly about his commitment to the supporters ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. More of his latest comments and developments can be found in our dedicated Lewis Hamilton Ferrari coverage.
Hamilton wanted to bring Ferrari history back to Monza
Hamilton also highlighted another aspect of his decision with a degree of pride.
“I’m pretty sure none of the Ferrari drivers in history have ever arrived in the coolest cars they have… the GTO, the F40.”
That raised the simple question of why not do it. Why not transform the arrival itself into part of the story? Why not bring a piece of Ferrari history directly to Ferrari?
For Hamilton, Monza offered the perfect setting: Ferrari’s home, the temple and the roots of the passion surrounding the team. The atmosphere of the Italian Grand Prix has once again become a major part of the build-up, with the relationship between Ferrari’s drivers and the Tifosi at Monza attracting particular attention.
“I’ll probably never get to do it again,” Hamilton acknowledged.
Perhaps that is precisely what made the moment unique: one of Formula 1’s most successful champions driving one of Ferrari’s most celebrated road cars to the circuit that represents the emotional centre of the Scuderia’s racing world.
The gesture also reflects the wider significance of Hamilton’s first experiences of Ferrari culture and history as one of its Formula 1 drivers. Monza remains a unique challenge on the sporting side as well, with expectations surrounding the Scuderia heightened by the possibility that Ferrari could be more competitive at its home Grand Prix.
For Hamilton, however, the F40 journey carried a meaning independent of lap times or results. After years spent searching for an untouched example, discovering the number 44 on its engine and choosing to restore it for the road, driving the car to Monza became his own way of celebrating Ferrari history at the place where that history is felt most strongly.
Leave a Reply