Ferrari reportedly axes Lewis Hamilton’s dream F40 revival project as pressures rise over his F1 future

F1 star Lewis Hamilton didn’t have the best debut season with Ferrari, and there are rumors that his dream F40 revival project may no longer be on the cards.

A rumored modern F40-inspired supercar has reportedly been shelved before it even turned a wheel.

The news comes from fresh claims in Italian media, injecting a dose of drama into an already tumultuous chapter of Hamilton’s debut season with Ferrari.

If this is true, many fans will be disappointed, but perhaps not as much as the man himself.

SBX CARS – View live supercar auctions powered by Supercar Blondie

Lewis Hamilton is a huge fan of the F40

According to Italian outlet Everyeye.it, veteran Formula 1 journalist Giorgio Terruzzi said on a podcast that the project had been quietly cancelled.

Internally dubbed the F44, a nod to Hamilton’s famous racing number, the car was rumored to be a V12-powered, manual-shift halo machine.

This is meant to be a spiritual successor to the legendary F40, and Hamilton has expressed interest in this as early as 2019.

Terruzzi noted that Lewis Hamilton was reportedly disappointed by the decision, but he also stressed that the information remains speculative.

Ferrari hasn’t confirmed anything, and with the brand’s love for secrecy, fans may never know just how close this ‘F40 revival’ actually came to life.

The speculation took off earlier this year when Hamilton visited Ferrari’s Maranello factory ahead of the 2025 season and posed with the original F40.

The innocent moment immediately sent enthusiasts into detective mode.

The car has long been considered Ferrari royalty: the snarling twin-turbo V8 icon that marked the end of an era before Ferrari’s return to naturally aspirated V12 flagships like the F50 and Enzo.

Today’s F80 carries some of that DNA, but with a Le Mans-derived hybrid V6, it’s a very different beast.

A manual V12 comeback car would have been nothing short of wild.

A rocky season for Ferrari

But as romantic as the idea sounds, timing may have doomed the project.

Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari has been unexpectedly rough.

Plagued by Q1 eliminations and strategy misfires, the F1 star ended the season in 6th place, 86 points behind teammate Charles Lelerc.

In fact, this year marked the first time since he joined Formula 1 in 2007 that he hasn’t taken a podium in a season.

While Leclerc claimed seven podiums this season, he also failed to win a single race.

With pressure high and performance questions swirling, Ferrari may not be in the mood for passion projects.

Even so, all hope isn’t lost for a Hamilton-spec Ferrari.

The company has a reputation for crafting personalized editions, like the Daytona SP3 variant built for Leclerc.

And with Lewis Hamilton locked in for multiple years, right through the pivotal 2026 regulations shift, there’s still time for him to receive something special.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie