Lewis Hamilton Puts Heart Eyes Under Kim Kardashian's Post

Lewis Hamilton just publicly acknowledged his Kim Kardashian romance for the first time ... and while he didn't actually use any words -- an emoji says a thousand in this case.

The Ferrari superstar showed love under Kim's recent Instagram post ... which put her stunning Oscars party look on full display.

Kim rocked a sparkling gold Gucci dress for night of fun ... and lo and behold, Sir Lewis popped up in the comment section with a flirty, heart-eyed smiley face to show his approval.

It's not much ... but it's enough to prove the F1 great isn't so shy about letting Kim's 353 million followers -- or his 42.6 million -- know they're dating after all.

The emoji drop is a change of pace ... especially since Lewis refused to talk about their Super Bowl date when the F1 media in Bahrain asked about it just a month ago.

According to Ted Kravitz, he shut it down by replying, "It's my private life. I'm not talking about that."

We already knew they were a thing -- not only did they attend the biggest sporting event of the year together, but they also had a getaway in Arizona ... and Lewis was heard in the background of a vid shot at a KarJenner gathering.

But seeing Lewis drop a drooly comment like that is confirmation for any deniers still thinking their time together is just platonic.

Oh, and anyone believing in the Kardashian Curse can take a seat -- Hamilton secured his first podium in the Ferrari red at the Chinese Grand Prix ... so it certainly hasn't had an impact on his skills.