Lewis Hamilton, a stroke of genius in the heat: a winter look to wow everyone
Lewis Hamilton chose a truly special way to make his entrance at the Italian Grand Prix. At Monza, the British driver arrived behind the wheel of a Ferrari F40, pairing his choice of car with an elegant and distinctive look: a dark suit and a camel-colored coat, despite the high temperatures.
The star of the show, however, was above all the Ferrari driven by Hamilton—a model to which the driver has been particularly attached since childhood. And this is no ordinary F40. In fact, this particular car has a unique history: after sitting unused and stored in a garage for over thirty years, it was rediscovered by the Azimut AHE (Automobile Heritage Enhancement) foundation.
The car then underwent a meticulous restoration by specialists in Maranello, who brought it back to the condition necessary to return to the road. Hamilton chose it for his arrival at Monza, turning his entrance into the paddock into a tribute to one of the most iconic Ferraris of all time.
The bond between Hamilton and the F40 has its roots in his childhood and has solidified over the course of this season. The driver himself shared the story on his social media, accompanying the announcement with the lyrics to Adriano Celentano’s “Prisencolinensinainciusol”: “My F40, all mine. This is the car of my dreams and always has been, for as long as I can remember. As a child, I dreamed of owning one. When I joined Ferrari last year, I made sure to have one with me right from my first day at Maranello. These cars are works of art, incredibly rare: when I found this one, covered in dust after sitting idle in a garage for over thirty years, I knew I had to bring it home.” This isn’t the car’s first public appearance, however: last year in Japan, during the Grand Prix, Hamilton made a surprise appearance at a fan gathering in Yokohama behind the wheel of an F40, leaving those present speechless.
From a historical and technical standpoint, the F40 represents one of the absolute pinnacles of Maranello’s production: it is the last car personally approved by Enzo Ferrari, equipped with a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 capable of delivering 478 cavalli and 577 Nm of torque. The extensive use of composite materials makes it extraordinarily lightweight, allowing it to reach 326 km/h and earn the title of the world’s fastest production car in 1987. The model chosen by Hamilton, produced in 1991, had remained virtually untouched since the day it was delivered: a true time capsule, with its original mileage, and not a single screw ever having been touched.
The grand arrival at Monza is part of a weekend rich in significance for Hamilton and Ferrari. The Temple of Speed is hosting a special edition of the Italian Grand Prix, with the Maranello team celebrating the 30th anniversary of Michael Schumacher’s first victory at the Brianza circuit, which dates back to the 1996 season, featuring livery and race suits dedicated to the German legend. Hamilton, who has five wins at Monza—exactly like Schumacher—dreams of becoming the most successful driver in the race’s history, surpassing the German legend on his own.
