When Lewis Hamilton was dominating Formula 1 with Mercedes, he expressed interest in developing a special edition of the AMG One. However, that was back in 2019, and there’s been no word since on a bespoke version of the Formula 1-powered hypercar. Now a Ferrari driver, the seven-time F1 champion is once again eager to collaborate on a street-legal car, this time carrying the Prancing Horse. He has even assigned it a name already: F44.
Our sister site Motorsport.com quotes Hamilton saying he wants to help develop a road-going Ferrari that pays tribute to the F40. Creating a worthy successor to the iconic supercar would be no small feat, not just because of its significance in Ferrari’s lineage. The legendary F40 was the last model personally approved by Enzo Ferrari before his passing in 1988, a year after its debut.
“One of the things I really want to do is I want to design a Ferrari. I want to do an F44. Baseline of an F40, with the actual stick shift. That’s what I’m gonna work on for the next few years.”
It’s no surprise that he chose the F40. On his first official day at Ferrari, the British racing driver posed next to the V8-powered machine in Maranello. Even before switching teams, Hamilton had already built an impressive Ferrari collection with his hard-earned money, including the 599 GTO and LaFerrari, along with their convertible (Aperta) versions. While an F40 isn’t currently in his garage, McLaren rival Lando Norris reportedly owns one of the 1,311 examples produced between 1987 and 1992.
While Hamilton’s idea might seem like mere wishful thinking, reports suggest Ferrari is genuinely considering an F40 revival. Last November, Top Gear magazine claimed it could join the ultra-exclusive “Icona” series alongside the Monza SP1/SP2 and Daytona SP3. Rumor has it that the car would be based on the old LaFerrari rather than the new F80 and that it would forgo the hybrid component of its V-12 powertrain.
But what if we told you Ferrari has already revisited the F40? In 2018, the automaker unveiled the SP38 as a one-off creation based on the 488 GTB. Commissioned by “one of Ferrari’s most dedicated customers,” the bespoke project borrowed design cues from one of the most iconic poster cars of the 1980s. However, what Hamilton is suggesting, and what reports are alleging, is that a fully fledged F40 tribute could be on the horizon.
In the meantime, Hamilton has bigger fish to fry. His debut season with Ferrari isn’t off to the best start. He finished tenth in Australia and sixth in last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix. To make matters worse, he was disqualified after yesterday’s race when scrutineers found excessive wear on the rear underbody of his car.
The 40-year-old driver must first become competitive in the SF-25 before finding time to work on side projects.
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