Lewis Hamilton Finds Dream Ferrari F40 After 30 Years in Dusty Garage: 'I Knew I Had To Bring Her Home'

Lewis Hamilton's new Ferrari is all over social media. He shared his Ferrari F40 on his social media pages, while some social media users have shared photos and videos of Hamilton driving his new wheels.

'My very own F40,' Hamilton shared on Instagram, along with 18 photos of the car. 'This is the car of my dreams and has been for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I dreamt of having one. When I joined Ferrari last year, I made sure to have one with me on my first day at Maranello. That's how much it means to me.'

What Is the Ferrari F40?

Scuderia Ferrari was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 primarily as a racing team. The Ferrari automobile company was established later, with Ferrari producing its first racing car, the 125 S, in 1947.

Ferrari produced its first road car, the 166 Inter, in 1948. Forty years later, the brand produced the Ferrari F40, one of its most famous supercars. It is described as 'a berlinetta with racing DNA.'

Famed Italian car designer Pininfarina designed the F40, which was manufactured using composite materials. The brand's website described the F40 as a 'race car for road use.'

'It was an exceptional car, capable of extreme performance thanks to its twin-turbo engine packing almost 160 brake horsepower per liter (bhp/l) of specific power, and with a captivating appearance, with its large wraparound rear wing,' the brand said of the F40.

The supercar was manufactured between 1987 and 1992. By the end, just over 1,300 examples had been produced. The F40 has since become one of the most sought-after classic Ferraris.

How Hamilton Found His F40

'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 shared with his 43.7 million followers. The post garnered more than two million likes.

Before the seven-time World Champion brought the car home, he took it to the Maranello factory to be restored. An engine component bears a '44' marking, representing Hamilton's famous racing number.

Some people who ran into Hamilton on the road shared photos and videos on social media.

Photographer Sulay (@shoelayce on Instagram) documented Hamilton meeting the F40 for the first time and the racer's many visits to the factory to see the progress of the restoration. 'The car was covered in dust after being stored in a garage for 30 years before being brought back to Maranello for restoration. Over the past year, he visited the car multiple times to see the team bring it back to life,' Sulay said.

Hamilton will head to Ferrari's home race this weekend for the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. It is a special race for Scuderia Ferrari as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Schumacher joining the team in 1996.

Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc will be wearing special suits emblazoned with seven stars, representing Schumacher's seven World Championships. Their helmets and cars will also carry the same motif.