As Lewis Hamilton prepares for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix with the Ferrari Formula 1 team, stories about his modern vision for a reimagined Ferrari F40 continue to circulate following his reveal at the Australian Grand Prix. While this project is yet to be confirmed by the Italian outfit, the seven-time champion has since teased a collaboration with Liberty Walk and their famous widebody F40 via his Instagram stories.
Speaking at the Australian Grand Prix earlier this year, Hamilton revealed plans to build a modernised F40, which he plans to call the F44 – a nod to his racing number.
“One of the things I really want to do is I want to design a Ferrari. I want to do an F44,” the driver said. “Baseline of an F40, with the actual stick shift. That’s what I’m gonna work on for the next few years.”
Over the last few years, the Briton has made it a tradition to drift around the iconic capital city, Tokyo, behind the wheel of a Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. His first video went live in 2022, where he could be seen driving a white Skyline to its limits as smoke bellowed out of the gearbox. In 2024, he took another Skyline, this time Bayside Blue, and raced it from the Tokyo Tower and down the Shuto Expressway.
With Hamilton now sharing a photo of the famous Liberty Walk F40 to his Instagram stories, this could well be the car to replace the R34 now he’s part of the legendary Scuderia team.
This modified car was highly controversial when it was first revealed at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, with it not going down overly well with Ferrari purists, similarly to the brand’s first F40 project inspired by the Le Mans car. But it has since become a legend in Japan. And now, it could become legendary in the world of F1 if Hamilton is going to sit behind its steering wheel.
The legendary Italian supercar has been widened with angular arches, painted white, and given aftermarket wheels. Matched with a host of scary looking splitters and enough rear wing to move the Earth itself, it’s an intimidating thing.
