Lewis Hamilton has been a Ferrari driver for several months now. Driving for Scuderia has so far yielded him little beyond a sprint victory in Shanghai, although he has been making some interesting plans behind the scenes. The seven-time world champion, a passionate car enthusiast, wants to work with his new employer to revamp the iconic Ferrari F40. A Ferrari F44 is in the works.
Modifying a classic Ferrari, universally adored by purists and enthusiasts, to suit personal tastes. Sacrilege? Perhaps not when Lewis Hamilton is the one doing it. Generally, Ferrari frowns upon customers personalizing their speed machines, but we’re talking about an employee of the Italian manufacturer here – possibly the highest paid of all. The Ferrari F44, as Hamilton wants to call the project, could therefore become even more valuable than a ‘standard’ model.
The Ferrari ‘F44’
“One of the things I really want to do is design a Ferrari myself,” Hamilton declared during the race weekend in Shanghai. “I want to create an F44. Based on the F40, but with the right manual transmission. That’s what I’ll be working on in the coming years.” It’s not uncommon for celebrated Ferrari drivers to also get involved with ‘regular’ production cars.
However, it’s not usual to tinker with a Ferrari F40, even for Hamilton. This ultimate 80s supercar is still considered one of the best cars ever made. It was also the last project personally approved by the late Enzo Ferrari. The F40 is packed with Formula 1 technology, including a lot of carbon fiber components. The car is powered by a 2.9-liter V8 engine and was one of the first production cars capable of reaching two hundred miles per hour. Lewis Hamilton posed with a Ferrari F40 in January during his first visit to the factory in Maranello.
