Lewis Hamilton Takes on a Ferrari F40 in His Latest 'Tokyo Drift' Video

      Screenshot via @lewishamilton and larry_chen_photo IG

      The latest in car news and reviews, no nonsense.

      Lewis Hamilton enjoys the Tokyo car culture and has developed a routine of sharing a "video edit" of his automotive antics whenever he's in town for the Japanese Grand Prix. In past years, he has made headlines for drifting a rented R34 Skyline GT-R around Tokyo, performing donuts and drifts at every opportunity. Unsurprisingly, the car's owners were not pleased.

      While the GT-R is undeniably a fantastic vehicle, it doesn’t quite measure up to his choice of car this year: a Ferrari F40.

      The seven-time Formula 1 champion collaborated with his regular photographer and friend of The Drive, Larry Chen, also known as 13thwitness, to create a roughly one-minute video and a collection of photos. Originally, Chen's Instagram post featured images of Hamilton’s reported new girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, but those slides have since been removed. However, the video does focus on her face at the very end, seemingly indicating that she was the enigmatic passenger during their ride.

      The video itself is enjoyable, with an energetic rhythm that makes it feel like a whimsical daydream. If you like the music, the track is "Victory Lap" by Fred Again featuring Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax. I can picture myself drifting off at my desk while working, only to imagine tearing through Tokyo in a red F40 with my partner next to me. Who wouldn’t want that?

      On a serious note, it’s refreshing to see F1 drivers unwind and have fun as most car enthusiasts do—or at least as they would if they had almost limitless resources. The pressures of being an F1 driver are immense, so whether it’s Hamilton zipping through Tokyo, Max Verstappen driving GT3 cars at the Nurburgring, or Fernando Alonso abandoning his Valkyrie due to a breakdown while navigating Monaco, I appreciate witnessing their joy and humanity (and privilege).

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