An Icon With A Legend
Owning a Ferrari F40 must offer a next-level sense of exclusivity, not only because production was limited to around 1,315 examples, but also because of its history as the last Ferrari personally approved by company founder Enzo Ferrari. But perhaps owning one while being one of Scuderia Ferrari’s two current Formula 1 drivers is even more remarkable. That is something very few can say, including Lewis Hamilton, who recently shared his “very own F40” on social media.
Why is this notable when high-profile celebrities acquire big-ticket cars all the time? One, and most importantly, the F40 has been Hamilton’s dream car since childhood. He even posed with one in Maranello when he joined Scuderia Ferrari last year after winning one F1 World Championship with McLaren and six with Mercedes-AMG. Secondly, this could be worth watching because it gives enthusiasts a reason to revisit the reported one-off F44 project, which was reportedly shelved last year.
Hamilton’s Other Ferrari Dream
The so-called F44, named after Hamilton’s racing number, began with the driver publicly saying he wanted to design an F40-inspired Ferrari with a manual transmission. Later reports described it as a one-off model with a V12 engine and a manual gearbox and claimed that the project had been cancelled or put on hold.
While there is no known connection between this F40 and the rumored F44, Hamilton’s lengthy post leaves room for more. He said he found the car covered in dust after it had sat in a garage for more than 30 years and ended the post with “Stay tuned.” It is unclear what he has planned, but that suggests this will not be the last time the vehicle appears on his social media.
For reference, the F40 came with a mid-mounted 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 471 horsepower. It was a notable powertrain choice because the succeeding halo cars – the F50, Enzo, and LaFerrari – all used V12 engines, the type reportedly envisioned for the F44. However, the latest flagship, the F80, switched to a twin-turbo hybrid V6 derived from the Le Mans-winning 499P Hypercar.
The Next Chapter Is Waiting
Whatever Hamilton plans to share about this Ferrari F40, it should be a treat for enthusiasts and motorsports fans.
As of this writing, Hamilton is in his second season with Scuderia Ferrari, driving alongside teammate Charles Leclerc. He is currently third in the standings, tied on points with former teammate George Russell and trailing leader Kimi Antonelli by 59 points. The 2026 season still has 11 races remaining, including Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix, this weekend.
