Ferrari F40s are highly collectible by default. Lewis Hamilton’s 1991 example, however, came with a story worth preserving.

The seven-time Formula 1 champion has revealed the full restoration of his F40 in a new YouTube video, documenting how Ferrari’s specialists in Maranello brought the barely driven supercar back to life.

The original owner collected the F40 in 1991, drove it just 69 kilometers, and parked it. According to Hamilton, it was never started again, spending more than three decades in a garage. That was exactly the kind of F40 Hamilton wanted. The model has been his dream car since childhood, and one of his first Ferrari photo shoots after joining the team featured an F40.

From dusty garage find to Maranello

When the F40 arrived at Ferrari’s Classiche department, decades of storage were clearly visible. Dust covered the bodywork, debris had accumulated inside the cabin, and even dead insects remained in the car.

Hamilton briefly considered leaving some of the grime intact as part of its history, but Ferrari ultimately gave the car a full restoration.

The finished F40 looked virtually new, prompting Hamilton to say, “She looks so good! Wow! She looks brand new.”

He then climbed into the cockpit and fired up the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8, bringing the F40 back to life after decades of silence.

The restoration also uncovered a fitting coincidence: the engine is stamped “44”, Hamilton’s Formula 1 racing number. The car’s UK registration plate also carries the number.

From the garage to Monza

After the restoration, Hamilton faced a collector’s dilemma: whether to add more kilometers to an F40 that had covered just 69 kilometers in 35 years. He chose to drive it.

The restored Ferrari eventually made its way to Monza, where Hamilton posed with it against the circuit’s iconic abandoned banking.

Produced from 1987 to 1992, the F40 was the final road car commissioned and approved by Enzo Ferrari before his death in 1988. With around 1,300 examples built, well-preserved, low-mileage cars remain highly sought after.

Hamilton has previously sold much of his car collection, including a Pagani Zonda 760 LH, Ferrari LaFerrari, and 1966 Shelby Cobra.

The F40, however, holds a deeper meaning. For a driver who has wanted one since childhood, its journey from a dusty, barely driven garage find to a Maranello-restored Ferrari back on the road makes it a particularly personal addition to his collection.