Few places in Formula 1 carry as much emotional weight for Ferrari as Monza, and next week’s Italian Grand Prix is set to become an especially poignant occasion as the Scuderia prepares to honor one of the most important figures in its history: Michael Schumacher.
Ferrari will celebrate the German legend’s extraordinary legacy with a special livery for its SF-26 cars, reportedly featuring red and black detailing and gold wheels inspired by the F310 that Schumacher drove during his first season with the team in 1996.
The timing could hardly be more fitting. The 2026 Italian Grand Prix falls 30 years after Schumacher delivered his maiden victory for Ferrari and two decades after the final win of his Formula 1 career.
A bond forged at the Temple of Speed
Schumacher’s relationship with Ferrari transformed both the driver and the team. He captured five consecutive world championships with the Scuderia between 2000 and 2004, while 72 of his 91 Grand Prix victories came in Ferrari red.
Monza was also one of his most successful hunting grounds. Schumacher won Ferrari's home race five times, repeatedly receiving the adulation of a passionate Italian crowd that came to regard him as one of its own.
Ferrari has already begun teasing its plans through social media, with several events expected to take place in the build-up to the race and throughout the Grand Prix weekend.
The tribute will inevitably carry a deeper poignancy given Schumacher’s circumstances. The seven-time world champion suffered a devastating skiing accident in Méribel, France, in December 2013 and has remained out of the public eye ever since, surrounded by his wife Corinna and their family.
His legacy, however, remains firmly embedded in Formula 1 and particularly at Ferrari. Schumacher’s record seven world championships is now shared with Lewis Hamilton, who also surpassed his 91-win tally in 2020.
Yet statistics alone cannot capture what Schumacher came to represent at Maranello. His arrival helped usher Ferrari into one of the most dominant periods in its history, while his relentless pursuit of perfection forged an enduring connection with the team and its supporters.
Next week, as Ferrari’s latest generation of machinery takes to the Monza circuit in colors inspired by its past, the Scuderia will have an opportunity to celebrate not merely a champion, but a driver whose name became inseparable from the Ferrari story.
For those who watched Schumacher race in red, it promises to be an emotional reminder of an era that remains impossible to forget.
Honouring a legacy that has helped shaped our own 🙌 pic.twitter.com/vLUjp5Ckkv
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) August 26, 2026
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