Ferrari to honor Schumacher at Monza 30 years after he joined the team

Ferrari will turn this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza into a tribute to Michael Schumacher, 30 years after the German driver joined the team.

The Ferrari SF-26 cars driven by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will carry a design inspired by the F310, Schumacher’s first Ferrari car in 1996. The predominantly red cars will feature white and black details, along with a gold element on the wheels recalling the magnesium components used at the time.

The cars will also display Schumacher’s logo and a nose design inspired by one of his final helmets, including seven stars on a red background. Three cars from different stages of his Ferrari career will appear at the circuit: the 1996 F310, the 2006 248 F1 and the F2002, which carried Schumacher to the 2002 world title.

Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher’s teammate for five seasons, will drive the F2002 on Saturday. Sebastian Vettel will complete a tribute lap on Sunday before the Grand Prix begins.

Schumacher won the race at Monza five times, in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. He remains Ferrari’s most successful Formula One driver. The celebrations will continue at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, where the five cars from his 2000 to 2004 championship seasons will be displayed with trophies and other material dedicated to him from Sept. 4 through Sept. 30.