Ferrari will turn back the clock at Monza this weekend as the Italian giants celebrate 30 years since Michael Schumacher first arrived at Maranello. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will race in a special livery inspired by the Ferrari F310 that Schumacher drove in his first season with the team.
The tribute will carry plenty of meaning for Ferrari fans. Schumacher joined Ferrari from Benetton in 1996 as a two-time world champion, but his greatest achievements were still ahead of him.
He went on to win five of his seven world titles with Ferrari. His 72 victories for the team remain more than any other Ferrari driver, making his name part of the fabric of the famous red team.
The Monza cars will remain mainly red, but gold details on the wheels will recall the F310’s striking gold wheels. Schumacher’s logo will also appear on the cars, while seven stars on the nose will mirror the design he wore on his helmet after winning his seventh title in 2004.
Hamilton and Leclerc will join the tribute. Their race suits and helmet designs will also reflect the special theme, creating a visual link between Ferrari’s past and present.
The memories will go beyond the current cars. Schumacher’s 1996 F310, 2002 F2002 and 2006 248 F1 will all take demonstration laps around Monza during the weekend.
The timing is especially fitting. Schumacher announced his first retirement after his penultimate Ferrari victory at the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, making Monza a place where his Ferrari story carries a special emotional weight.
For one weekend, the sound of modern Formula 1 will meet the memories of an era that helped define Ferrari’s history.
