The home event is always special for Ferrari, especially when arriving at Monza, with the crowd ready to wave the Maranello team’s flags from the stands and on the straight at the end of the race. In recent years, Ferrari has dedicated a special livery to the Italian round, referencing historical events, anniversaries, or particular victories, especially incorporating Modena yellow, one of the colors in the history of the Prancing Horse used also on the 499P, which won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This year, for the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari has decided to celebrate a material that has made history in Formula 1, marking a crucial step in the construction of race cars—carbon fiber, known for its lightness and strength. In this way, carbon fiber has not only played a crucial role in performance but also in safety.
In 1982, Ferrari began reinforcing the aluminum chassis of the 126 C2 with carbon fiber panels and designing the wings entirely in the new material. The following year, in mid-season, the 126 C3 debuted, the first car with a carbon monocoque built at Maranello.
From the first carbon chassis in F1 in the early 1980s, thanks to the insight of designer John Barnard at McLaren, the study of this material has become increasingly crucial over the following decades, seeking solutions to ensure better performance, including in terms of flexibility, as there are areas where less rigidity can provide competitive advantages. At the same time, there has been a constant quest for a lighter car, perhaps by applying fewer carbon layers.
Ferrari, along with some of its partners, has decided to celebrate this material at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. For this reason, both SF-24 cars will have a small touch dedicated to the chosen theme: the numbers 16 and 55 of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on the bodywork will not be the usual white outlined in yellow but will have a carbon look. This is a smaller change compared to other liveries seen in recent years, such as the one used in Miami this year with two shades of blue, limiting the change to just the race numbers.
However, the accessories for this weekend, including suits, helmets, shoes, and glasses, all inspired by this material, will stand out more. For the Italian GP, both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will wear a special edition of their helmets: the red will give way to exposed carbon, showcasing its true nature, with the only other complementary color being yellow, which was already celebrated in previous years at Monza. The carbon look will also be on the drivers’ race suits, as revealed yesterday, while the t-shirts will be in black and yellow.
