Ferrari ramps up retro campaign ahead of Schumacher-inspired Monza reveal

The Italian team is preparing to go all out for its home Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli's grid penalty also handing Ferrari an extra opportunity in its bid to fight for victory. The Scuderia, however, knows it will face strong competition in the battle for the top step of the podium.

GPblog reported a few days ago that Ferrari is preparing to introduce a special livery for the SF-26 at the Italian Grand Prix, continuing a tradition that has become increasingly associated with the Scuderia's annual visit to Monza.

Ferrari has regularly used its home race to pay tribute to significant moments from its past, combining one-off designs with special clothing and merchandise. Since 2022, the team has adopted a different look at Monza on several occasions, with 2024 the only exception during that period.

The team began the tradition in 2022 by adding yellow and black accents to the F1-75 to celebrate its 75th anniversary and Monza's centenary, before drawing inspiration from its Le Mans-winning 499P for the SF-23 a year later. After skipping a special design in 2024, the Scuderia revived the concept in 2025 with a retro SF-25 livery inspired by the 312T, marking 50 years since Niki Lauda won his first Formula 1 world title with Ferrari.

This year's tribute, however, is expected to turn the clock back to 1996, with Ferrari set to draw inspiration from the F310 driven by Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine during the German's first season with the Scuderia.

Ferrari already kicked off its campaign a few days ago by unveiling the Schumacher-inspired race suits that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will wear at Monza this weekend, featuring seven distinctive white stars in tribute to the German's seven Formula 1 world titles.

Today, Ferrari also unveiled its matching team kit, which carries over the seven white stars and features the distinctive white stripe pattern inspired by Schumacher's racewear from his first season with the Scuderia in 1996.

Ferrari accompanied the post with the message: "Marking our home race with our special team kit, inspired by Michael Schumacher’s continuing impact."