For Hamilton, the new year starts with a $40M check!

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Lewis Hamilton has kicked off the new year on full throttle, awarding himself a hefty bonus for his prosperous 2018 season in the form of a luxurious Manhattan penthouse.

According to the very serious Wall Street Journal, the five-time world champion snagged a $40.7 million pad situated at 70 Vestry Street in lower Manhattan's Tribeca neighbourhood, an area typically popular with celebrities.

The unit acquired by the Mercedes driver in the limestone residential building unfolds over 6,547 square feet and includes four bedrooms and 3,000 square feet of outdoor space, a rare perk in New York where Hamilton enjoys to spend a lot of his down time.

Hamilton's neighbours will include, among other celebrities, New England Patriot's football legend Tom Brady and his super-model wife Gisele Bündchen.

The Formula 1 star is apparently trading up, having previously invested in March 2017 in a loft-style apartment located just one block east of 70 Vestry, at 443 Greenwich Street.

Will Hamilton add more square footage if he wins a sixth world title in 2019? It's a buyer's market…

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