Hamilton drives restored Ferrari F40 into Monza paddock ahead of Italian GP

Lewis Hamilton made his entrance at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix media day on Thursday by driving a fully restored Ferrari F40 into the paddock, drawing immediate attention from fans and onlookers at Formula 1’s most storied circuit.

The seven-time world champion unveiled the car on social media earlier in the week, revealing it had spent more than three decades gathering dust in a garage before he acquired it and commissioned a full restoration at Ferrari’s Maranello factory. “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,” Hamilton wrote. “First to Maranello, where the master engineers and mechanics at the factory worked for weeks to bring her back to life. This has truly been a dream come true.”

Hamilton arrived dressed in an all-black suit, tan coat, and flat cap, and paused on the drive into the paddock to take photographs — images that drew comparisons to the widely circulated pictures from his first day as a Ferrari driver at the start of the 2025 season. The F40 carries his personal #44 plate.

The moment resonated strongly with fans online. “No F1 photo carries more aura than this,” one wrote on X. “Most successful F1 driver of all time, arriving in Monza — Ferrari’s home race — in the most legendary Ferrari ever created as a Ferrari driver. It doesn’t get more perfect than this.” Another added: “Two legends side by side. One of the best cars in Ferrari history and a driver who has gone down in F1 history as one of the greatest.”

The Italian Grand Prix holds particular significance for Hamilton this season. He arrives at Ferrari’s home race 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the standings, making the weekend a critical one as he looks to close the gap.