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It’s a known fact that seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton loves the Ferrari F40. So much so that in his first official photoshoot as a Scuderia Ferrari driver, he posed next to one. More recently, he went viral for taking over the streets of Tokyo in another F40, making a full video production of his midnight shenanigans with his partner, Kim Kardashian. Today, he took to Instagram to reveal that he scored a massive barn find: his very own Ferrari F40.
Hamilton doesn’t say exactly when he discovered the car, but he does say that he found it covered in dust after it had been sitting in a garage “for over 30 years.”
“My very own F40. This is the car of my dreams and has been for as long as I can remember,” said Hamilton on Instagram. “As a kid I dreamt of having one. When I joined Ferrari last year I made sure to have one with me on my first day at Maranello. That’s how much it means to me.
“These cars are works of art and incredibly rare, so when I found this one, covered in dust after being sat in a garage for over thirty years, I knew I had to bring her home. First to Maranello, where the master engineers and mechanics at the factory worked for weeks to bring her back to life,” he added. “Massive thank you to everyone who had a hand in this project. This has truly been a dream come true. I can’t wait to share more with you all. Stay tuned …”
I don’t know what the odds are that Hamilton was casually jogging through a random town when he stumbled upon the lightly cracked door of a garage and saw an F40 hiding inside, or maybe he was jogging through the wilderness when he spotted a barn and wandered in, only to discover his dream car sitting under a pile of junk; I simply don’t know. He most likely had a headhunter from Maranello willing to follow up on any lead of an undisturbed F40 ready to hit the market, and this happened to be it. Maybe Hamilton will share the story at some point—I hope.
Either way, it’s great to see Lewis genuinely excited about his newest toy, and to see the Rosso Corsa supercar now making its way through Ferrari’s Classiche program to be brought back to life. I especially love the photos of Hamilton posing next to the car or the engine, almost as if he were the proud father of a newborn baby.
As we’ve explored before, there was a time when Hamilton had chosen to give up his car collection and even got rid of his private jet to lower his carbon footprint. However, that seemed to change right around the time he moved from Mercedes to Ferrari, so now it just looks like he’s having fun any way he wants to. Both moves are admirable in their own right, so good for him.
Judging by how he wrapped up his Instagram caption: “Stay tuned…” I’m sure we’re not done hearing about this project. I can’t wait.
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As deputy editor, Jerry draws on a decade of industry experience and a lifelong passion for motorsports to guide The Drive’s short- and long-term coverage.
