Lewis Hamilton recreates iconic Ferrari image at Italian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has recreated his iconic first photograph as a Ferrari driver with his arrival at Monza ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s first official photograph as a Ferrari driver became the most-liked F1-related Instagram post (5.7 million likes) of all time in January 2025 when he officially joined the team from Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton recreates famous Ferrari photograph at Italian Grand Prix

It showed a suited-and-booted Hamilton posing alongside a Ferrari F40, described as his favourite supercar, outside the house used as an office by legendary team founder Enzo Ferrari at Maranello.

Hamilton, who claimed his first victory for the Scuderia at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June, is preparing for his second Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver at Monza this weekend.

And the 41-year-old recreated the pose as he arrived at the circuit on Thursday morning (below).

The F40 carried Hamilton’s official F1 race number, 44, on its numberplate, with the driver wearing an overcoat and beret as he arrived at the circuit.

Hamilton’s appearance with the F40 comes days after he revealed that he was the new owner of the classic Ferrari after the team at Maranello helped him restore one that had been “covered in dust after being sat in a garage for more than thirty years.”

In a post to social media, he wrote: “My very own F40. 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.

“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.

“First to Maranello, where the master engineers and mechanics at the factory worked for weeks to bring her back to life.

“Massive thank you to everyone who had a hand in this project. This has truly been a dream come true.

“I can’t wait to share more with you all. Stay tuned.”

Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc: Ferrari head-to-head stats for F1 2026 season

F1 2026: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between teammates

F1 2026: Head-to-head race statistics between teammates

Hamilton enters the Italian Grand Prix in third in the 2026 drivers’ championship, with the Ferrari driver level on points with Mercedes driver George Russell.

Russell is ahead of Hamilton as a result of claiming two wins so far this season (Australia and Austria) compared to Hamilton’s one.

Russell and Hamilton sit 59 points adrift of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli with a maximum of 11 races remaining in 2026.

Antonelli will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid after Mercedes opted to change his engine at the 20-year-old’s home race, providing a chance for Russell and Hamilton to close the gap.

The Ferrari team will run a special tribute livery to Michael Schumacher, the only other seven-time world champion in F1 history, at Monza (below).

This year marks 30 years since Schumacher’s first season with Ferrari in 1996 and 20 since the German announced his retirement at Monza moments after claiming his penultimate victory at the 2006 Italian Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc claimed Ferrari’s last win at Monza in 2024.

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