Lewis Hamilton made quite the entrance at the Italian Grand Prix, arriving at Monza behind the wheel of his own Ferrari F40, complete with a personalised ‘44’ number plate.
The F40 is one of Ferrari’s most iconic road cars, with just 1,315 examples produced between 1987 and 1992. Today, they are highly sought after by collectors, with some selling for around US$3 million.
But Hamilton wasn’t simply looking for any F40.
Speaking at Monza, Lewis revealed that owning one had long been a dream of his, but he had been waiting to find one with low mileage, an interesting history and, importantly, as much of its originality intact as possible.
Eventually, he found exactly that.
The previous owner had reportedly purchased the car before driving it just 69 kilometres from Maranello to his home. He then parked it and never started it again. According to Hamilton, even the passenger door had never been opened.
After sitting under a cover for more than 30 years, the F40 was covered in dust when Hamilton acquired it, leaving him with an interesting decision: preserve it exactly as it was or bring it back to life.
In the end, there was only one real option.
“I had them redo it because I wanted to drive it,” Hamilton explained.
Ferrari’s mechanics went through the car and discovered that, despite sitting untouched for decades, it had stood the test of time remarkably well. Very little needed replacing.
But it was when the engine was removed that the story took an unexpected turn.
Stamped on the engine was the number 44 – the same number Hamilton has carried throughout the majority of his Formula One career.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Hamilton said, describing the discovery as feeling “very much like fate.”
And there was another reason Lewis wanted to drive the F40 to Monza.
He said he couldn’t recall another Ferrari Formula One driver arriving at the Italian Grand Prix in one of the manufacturer’s truly iconic road cars, such as an F40 or 250 GTO.
“I was like, ‘It has to be done.’”
For Hamilton, it was also an opportunity to celebrate Ferrari’s history at arguably the most appropriate place possible – the team’s home Grand Prix.
“I thought it was a real opportunity to kind of highlight the history of Ferrari in their home country, at their race, and when am I ever going to get to do that again?”
Hamilton’s arrival certainly achieved that.
A Ferrari driver arriving at Monza in an almost untouched F40 with just 69 kilometres originally put on the clock, and an engine that just happens to carry the number 44.
As Lewis himself put it, perhaps it really was fate.
