Lewis Hamilton concluded his journey with Mercedes in 2024, and 2025 marks the year he becomes a Scuderia Ferrari driver. The Briton will race alongside Charles Leclerc, and together they will strive to return the Italian team to the top.
The seven-time world champion could also bring an end to Ferrari’s 70-year wait by winning for the Maranello team with car No. 44.
At the Melbourne Grand Prix, for the first time since the 1966 Italian GP, the No. 44 will appear on a Scuderia Ferrari car. In 1966, Giancarlo Baghetti carried the number but did not finish ahead of the crowd.
Ferrari’s 70-Year Wait
The last time Ferrari had a car with No. 44 on its side was in 1966, but the wait for a victory with that number goes back much further.
Seventy years ago was Ferrari’s last victory with car No. 44. That triumph occurred at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix. This was a time when drivers’ race numbers were not consistent from one race to another, and a formal numbering system wasn’t adopted until 1973.
The 1955 Monaco GP was won by Maurice Trintignant, delivering the 20th victory for the Maranello team with the Ferrari 625. It was the first of his two wins, both achieved in Monaco—the second coming in 1958.
That day is also remembered for the crash involving Alberto Ascari, who was driving for Lancia. He misjudged the harborfront chicane and crashed into the port. The Italian driver survived the incident but tragically died four days later at Monza.
When Lewis Hamilton lines up on the Albert Park grid for his first race with Ferrari in 2025, he will have the opportunity to bring car No. 44 back to the Italian team after 59 years. Moreover, during the season, he could become the first to win with that number for Ferrari in 70 years. It will also mark only the fifth time No. 44 has been used by Ferrari in a Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix.
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