Ferrari set for retro F1 livery, says report

Ferrari is set to roll back the years with its new 2016 livery featuring a white-coloured engine cover that was first seen in the mid-1970s, according to Italian publication La Repubblica.

The report includes official drafts from Maranello’s latest challenger, codenamed project 667. The new layout harks back to the iconic Ferrari 312T that Niki Lauda drove to the 1975 world championship (pictured here is its 1976 successor). The car is also expected to sport the Italian flag around the air intake.

Besides the historical reference, the white piece of bodywork would also serve marketing and advertising purposes in making sponsors’ logos stand out more clearly.

Ferrari tifosi just hope the Scuderia’s new charger will fare better than the last Maranello car to feature a similar design – the infamous 1993-spec F93A –, which failed to win any race in the hands of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger.

Ferrari was plagued by internal strife at that time, but Jean Todt eventually took over and gave the revered Italian outfit a major overhaul, which included returning to a more traditional red livery.

Having bounced back from a dismal 2014 campaign – its worst since 1993 – to emerge as Mercedes’ nearest rivals last year, Ferrari hopes its latest machines can take the fight to the almighty Silver Arrows, white engine cover or not.

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Testing a livery

Key dates for the 2016 F1 season

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