LEWIS HAMILTON DRIVES FERRARI F40 TO MONZA

Summary:

• Lewis Hamilton drove a European-market Ferrari F40 to the 2026 Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
• The vehicle showed 69 kilometers on the odometer before Ferrari mechanics restored the engine.
• Mechanics found engine block number 44 matching the racing number of the driver.

You expect your favorite Formula 1 drivers to arrive at circuits in modern supercars, yet Lewis Hamilton chose a different approach for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix media day. He drove a European-market Ferrari F40 to Monza after acquiring the vehicle from an owner who parked the machine for three decades. The original buyer drove the car from Maranello to his home and never started the engine again, leaving the passenger door closed for 30 years. Dust covered the original factory red paint while the odometer showed only 69 kilometers.

Hamilton sent the vehicle to the Ferrari Classiche department in Maranello for a full mechanical restoration, as he wanted to drive the car rather than keep the machine as a static art piece. The manufacturer requires road cars over 20 years old to carry their original chassis, body, gearbox, and engine to receive an authenticity certificate. Factory technicians dismantled the vehicle to check the components and found a matching detail during the engine removal. The factory stamped number 44 on the engine block, matching the permanent Formula 1 racing number Hamilton uses. The driver adopted 44 during his childhood karting years, taking the digits from his father's Vauxhall Cavalier license plate.

The visual presentation at Monza combined classic automotive culture with specific sartorial choices. Hamilton stepped out of the non-air-conditioned cabin wearing a custom black suit and a long camel coat despite the circuit temperature reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit. He added a tie, a hat, and a leather briefcase to complete the look before posting an image on social media replicating the famous Akira movie poster alongside the restored vehicle.

This event brings attention to Enzo Ferrari’s final approved road car, a machine collectors value highly. You observe the carbon fiber and Kevlar weave through the thin red paint on this specific chassis. Hamilton combines his personal style with motorsport history through this public appearance, establishing a fresh benchmark for automotive enthusiasm.