Ferrari reveals Schumacher tribute livery for Monza

Ferrari will run a special livery in tribute to Michael Schumacher to mark 30 years since he joined the team, and 20 years since his final Italian Grand Prix victory.

Schumacher won five of his seven drivers’ championships with Ferrari from 2000-2004, having joined the team from Benetton in 1996. The last of his 91 victories came in the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix, but the previous race at Monza had Schumacher win in front of the tifosi and announce his retirement at the end of the season.

Although Schumacher would later return for three season with Mercedes from 2010-2012, he is synonymous with Ferrari and the Scuderia will run a 1996-inspired livery based on the F310 in which he won his first races for the team.

The design features Schumacher’s logo on the cockpit, while the nose will carry a nod to the legendary German’s helmet design with seven stars on a red background, as he ran in his final seasons with the team.

Current race drivers Lewis Hamilton – the only driver level with Schumacher on seven championships – and Charles Leclerc will also wear special race suits that include the seven stars, as well as bespoke helmet designs.

The tribute extends beyond the current Ferrari that will race, with three historic cars on display during the Italian Grand Prix weekend. The F310 is joined by the 248 F1 – the 2006 car in which Schumacher ended his Ferrari career – and the iconic F2002 that won 10 races in the 2002 season.

The F2002 was introduced mid-season and won 14 of the 15 races it contested that year, with Schumacher either first or second in each race. His then teammate Rubens Barrichello led home a Ferrari one-two at Monza that year, and will be behind the wheel of the F2002 on Saturday afternoon, before Sebastian Vettel demonstrates it on race day.