The iconic first photo of Lewis Hamilton at Maranello, flanked by the legendary F40 supercar, would have been different if the seven time world champion had his way.

The photo, depicting the former Mercedes driver in a black suit and overcoat, has been ’liked’ on Hamilton’s Instagram an astonishing 5.7 million times.

“I told him that those pictures were iconic that he made,” Hamilton’s former Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted. “It was so well curated, which is no surprise with Lewis.”

However, both Corriere della Sera newspaper and another Italian publication, Autosprint, claim Hamilton actually asked Ferrari if the F40 could be in black – not its iconic scarlet red.

Autosprint correspondent Fulvio Solms claims Hamilton wanted a black F40 to symbolise his well-known push for social justice initiatives, fighting discrimination and promoting inclusion.

But although Ferrari did have a black F40 on hand, the Maranello based team said “no”.

Solms explains: “Not so much because an F40 was not available in the classic department, but for a matter of principle.”

He added that the decision was made on the grounds of protecting Ferrari’s legacy, but also to reinforce the notion that while Hamilton is one of the most influential Formula 1 drivers of all time, the team always comes first at Ferrari.

Ferrari