Lewis Hamilton has never done things quietly, but even by his own standards, his arrival at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix stood apart. On the 3rd of September, the seven-time world champion rolled into Monza behind the wheel of his own Ferrari F40, delighting the Tifosi in front of Ferrari’s home crowd. Then, when he lifted the engine cover, he found something that stopped him in his tracks: stamped into the metal was the number 44 — his own racing number, engraved on a car built decades before his career began.
It was the moment that set the tone for one of the most iconic weekends on the Formula 1 calendar, at the fabled Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, the Royal Park where legends are made and heritage runs deeper than any lap time.
Monza: Formula 1’s Temple of Speed, and Ferrari’s Spiritual Home
No race weekend on the calendar compares to Monza. Fans call it the Temple of Speed — the fastest circuit in Formula 1, laid out inside a royal park just outside Milan. But what makes Monza truly special isn’t the layout. It’s the people.
This is not simply a Formula 1 crowd. It is a Ferrari crowd, and the difference is unmistakable the moment you arrive. At the centre of it all sits a single hotel that becomes the beating heart of race week, hosting both Ferrari and Mercedes personnel, including both Scuderia drivers. Outside its doors, from early morning until late at night, the Tifosi gather — not chasing autographs, but simply wanting to be present, to catch a glimpse, to wave a flag toward an upstairs window.
For these fans, devotion to Ferrari runs back generations, passed from grandparent to parent to child, predating every driver currently on the grid. At Monza, you don’t merely support Ferrari. You belong to it.
A Second Home for Some, a Second Chance for Others
Not every driver bases themselves in Monza itself; many set up camp in Milan, half an hour down the road. For Yuki Tsunoda, Italy has long served as a European home, and this year carried extra significance — with Isack Hadjar sidelined by injury, Liam Lawson stepped up at Red Bull, opening the door for Tsunoda to return to a race seat alongside rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad. For a driver who lost his full-time seat only months earlier, it was a timely reminder of what he can do.
Beyond the paddock, Milan’s finest hotels host drivers and VIPs seeking discretion and five-star comfort. But as glamorous as Milan is, everyone in the paddock knows where the real emotion of the weekend lives: in Monza, at the home of Ferrari.
From a $13 Million Collection to Nothing at All
This year, that emotional centre belongs to a figure nobody would have predicted two seasons ago: Lewis Hamilton. On Thursday, he arrived at Monza in his own Ferrari F40 — the car he has repeatedly named as his favourite in the world — in front of the very fans who idolise it most.
The irony is hard to miss. According to Hamilton himself, this F40 is now the only car he owns. For most of his career, he held one of the most envied private collections in motorsport: a Ferrari 599 SA Aperta (one of just 80 built), a LaFerrari Aperta (one of only 210), a 1966 Shelby Cobra, a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500, and the crown jewel — a one-off Pagani Zonda 760 LH, built to his own specification with exposed carbon fibre, purple detailing, and a manual gearbox Pagani never intended to offer.
At its peak, that collection was estimated at around $13 million. Then, in September 2025, Hamilton revealed in Baku that he had sold every single car, saying he had become “more into art nowadays.” Asked whether he would ever buy another car, he named exactly one: the Ferrari F40, calling it “a nice piece of art.”
The Search, and an Engine Number That Changed Everything
That single exception has now become reality. Hamilton had spent years searching for the right F40 — one with genuine history and minimal mileage. He eventually found a car whose original owner had driven it just 69 kilometres from the Maranello factory to his home, parked it, and never touched it again. The passenger door had never once been opened.
After restoring the car, Hamilton discovered something extraordinary stamped into the engine: the number 44 — his own racing number, engraved on a machine built long before he was born. “How crazy is that?” he admitted, still visibly stunned by the coincidence.
A Story That Began With a Rented Fiat 500
Behind the spectacle lies a quieter memory. As a young karting driver, Hamilton and his father would rent a modest Fiat 500 to reach the track. One day, a Lamborghini Diablo roared past, driven by Keke Rosberg with his son Nico aboard. Watching it go, young Lewis thought simply: how cool is that?
Decades later, the boy in the rattling Fiat 500 became the man arriving at Monza in his own Ferrari F40 — a Ferrari driver, in a Ferrari, in front of the Ferrari faithful, with his own number engraved on the engine. It is the kind of full-circle moment no script could improve on.
Watch the Full Story
This report is just a glimpse of everything that unfolded at Monza this year — from the Tifosi’s devotion outside the team hotel to the emotional detail of Hamilton’s F40 restoration. For the complete video breakdown, including exclusive paddock footage and reaction, watch our full report here:
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari F40, Monza, Italian Grand Prix 2026, Formula 1, Ferrari, F1 News
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