The striking inaugural image of Lewis Hamilton at Maranello, posed beside the legendary F40 supercar, nearly took a different form at the seven-time world champion's behest.
The photograph, featuring the ex-Mercedes driver in a characteristically Italian black suit and overcoat, has garnered an impressive 5.7 million 'likes' on Hamilton's Instagram. "I told him that those pictures were iconic that he made," his former Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged. "It was so well curated, which is no surprise with Lewis."
Yet, according to Corriere della Sera and Autosprint, both highly respected Italian publications, Hamilton actually requested that the F40 appear in black rather than its signature scarlet red.
Autosprint's Fulvio Solms reports that Hamilton sought a black F40 to reflect his prominent advocacy for social justice, combating discrimination, and fostering inclusion.
Despite having a black F40 available, Ferrari declined. "Not so much because an F40 was not available in the classic department, but for a matter of principle," Solms explains.
He notes that the refusal stemmed from a commitment to preserving Ferrari's heritage, while also underscoring that, despite Hamilton's stature as one of Formula 1's most influential figures, the team's identity takes precedence at Maranello.
