Hamilton brings his dream Ferrari F40 back to life

Lewis Hamilton's latest Ferrari project has rather less horsepower than the SF-26, no hybrid system and a history that begins long before he arrived in Maranello.

The seven-time World Champion has revealed that he bought an F40 discovered beneath a heavy layer of dust after more than 30 years in storage. The car was taken to Ferrari, where factory engineers and mechanics spent several weeks returning it to running condition.

Hamilton published photographs of himself with the car in Maranello and explained why this particular Ferrari mattered to him.

This is the car of my dreams and has been for as long as I can remember, he wrote. As a kid I dreamt of having one.

Hamilton said that he had insisted on having an F40 present on his first day at Ferrari last year. When he later found this example sitting unused, he decided to take it to Maranello and ask the factory to bring it back to life.

He thanked the engineers and mechanics who worked on the project and promised to reveal more about the car in the future.

The F40 was the final production Ferrari approved while Enzo Ferrari was alive. Built between 1987 and 1992, it combined a twin-turbocharged V8 with a lightweight carbon-fiber and Kevlar body and was created with considerably less concern for comfort than most modern supercars.

Hamilton has not disclosed the car's chassis number, ownership history or the mechanical work required after its long sleep. Those details may follow, as his promise suggests.

Drivers who join Ferrari are usually photographed beside the company's road cars. Finding a forgotten F40 and asking Maranello to revive it is a more personal way to join the family.