Hamilton makes emotional Schumacher tribute over personal link to Ferrari's Italian GP livery
Photo: Race Pictures
Updated: 08:40, 04 Sep
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Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton has paid tribute to fellow seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher ahead of this weekend's Italian GP, with the Scuderia sporting a special livery and race suits in homage to the F1 legend 30 years on from his Ferrari debut season.
Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will both drive with a livery inspired by Schumacher's 1996 F310 at Monza this weekend, featuring the German's personal logo and the iconic seven stars placed at the top of his race helmet signifying each of his Drivers' titles.
Former Ferrari and Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel will also drive the German's F2002 car during a celebratory run ahead of Sunday's race - the car in which his good friend Schumacher won his fifth Drivers' title in 2002.
Asked how special it is to be a Ferrari driver at Monza this weekend, Hamilton told GPblog, among others, at Thursday's press conference: "It's the best feeling to be a Ferrari driver. It's such an honour and a privilege to arrive in Italy at this iconic race with the most iconic and best team in the world. It's really phenomenal to experience it for the second year in a row, and it still feels new. It's not something you can get used to."
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Hamilton pays tribute to Schumacher on special Monza weekend
Photo: Race Pictures
Addressing the weekend's special livery, Hamilton actually linked the seven stars to his own seven Drivers' title wins, before paying a nostalgic tribute to Schumacher, whose win record at Monza is also shared by the Briton - each with five victories at the Italian GP circuit.
Hamilton said: "I haven’t actually seen the livery, but I’m wearing a shirt with seven stars, which is quite fitting because I have seven stars too, so it feels alright.So it feels like it’s also mine. But I mean, it’s kind of crazy. Last year, we celebrated Niki [Lauda], who was a dear friend, and Michael.
“For me, I grew up, I remember the happiest Sunday mornings when you heard the music, the old better music that they used to use for the start of Formula 1. Was it The Chain? Yeah, so much better.
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“And you could hear it downstairs starting, and you knew okay, you get all excited, you run downstairs, and I just always remember seeing Michael in the red car, and I remember playing computer games and always being Michael in that Ferrari, and always just trying to imagine what it would feel like to be in his shoes.
“I have the privilege of having that experience now. But I mean, he was such a leader. Obviously, he did such an amazing job throughout his career. And again, I had the privilege of racing in a moment where he was still racing and being on track with him, which meant a lot.”
Hamilton reveals the story behind unforgettable Monza arrival in iconic F40
Photo: Race Pictures
Along with the special livery this weekend, the seven-time world champion certainly turned heads as he arrived to Monza for the Italian GP weekend, bringing a newly restored Ferrari F40 to the circuit whilst wearing a stylish black suit and tan overcoat.
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Telling the story of how he he restored the car, Hamilton explained why he brought it to Monza this weekend. He told GPblog, among others: "I had it redone because I wanted to drive it in, because I realised actually what's kind of crazy, I might be wrong, I'm pretty sure, but none of the none of the Ferrari drivers in history have ever arrived in the coolest cars that they have, these iconic ones, the GTO or the F40.
"I was like, that has to be done. What was also crazy is when they were taking the car apart to check it, firstly, it stood the test of time. So everything was still working. Hardly anything had to be changed. And when they took the engine out, they just they found out the engine's number is 44. It got stamped on the engine, number 44, I couldn't believe it. I was like, you've got to be lying. And so it feels very much fate. And I thought it was a real opportunity to kind of highlight the history of Ferrari in their home country at their race."
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Italian Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 04.09.26
Practice 1
10:30 AM
Practice 2
02:00 PM
Saturday 05.09.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 06.09.26
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01:00 PM
Friday 04.09.26
Practice 1
Fri 10:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 02:00 PM
Saturday 05.09.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 06.09.26
Race
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 242 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 183 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 183 | |
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9 | Racing BullsRCB | 49 | |
10 | AlpineALP | 44 |
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