Ferrari has always been red, but if you look back over the liveries even in the last 20 years it is surprising how many other colours have come and gone. Yellow, white, black and even blue (many years ago) have all made an appearance, so what can we expect this season?
The new clothing, which has been revealed in a series of images and a social media video, contains no black at all, with statement white zips on all the zipper tops and jackets. The most interesting element of all, however, is the yellow pin-stripes that line the collars and sleeves and run down almost all the different garments.
Ahead of the clothing launch, the team had already released a video of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz seeing their new race suits – without showing the overalls in shot. The pair’s comments made it clear what the team want people to spot, with Sainz stating: “First of all, the black is gone, the white is back, and obviously the yellow…”
The bold commitment to yellow pays homage to the vibrant colour synonymous with the legacy of Ferrari’s home town of Modena – and, of course, is a main feature of its logo. The word “obviously” suggests yellow is likely to follow onto the car and Sainz continued: “more aggressive, more racey. Bravo Ferrari!”
Black is not back on this year’s Ferrari
One thing that is pretty certain is black will not be back this year. The colour has come and gone on Ferrari’s livery in recent years, with the 2013 car bringing in a heavy undersling of black on the lower sidepod and starting a trend that continued for almost a decade until red became the dominant colour – including even a red rear wing in the early 2020s.
Black was back in force in 2022, this time at the top of the engine cover and as the colour for the front and rear wings, while the recent Ferrari team clothing has featured big blocky black shoulder patches – but those have been ditched in the new Puma gear, providing a clear suggestion that the colour is out of fashion for this season.
Will the wheels turn red – and if so, what colour red?
Clearly, the one colour that has always been associated with Ferrari is red – but it has not always been the same type of red. The traditional hue, known as Rosso Corsa, is deep and rich but previously it has taken on a more orangey tone or a lighter hue to suit different sponsors. In 2020, the car was turned burgundy to celebrate the team’s 1000th race.
When Puma released its new clothing line, the brand highlighted what it described as a “transformation of the iconic Ferrari red” stating that its designers have “reimagined the classic red, infusing it with a modern twist.” Surely the team is not going to tamper with that well-loved stable though…are they?
If they do, we could be seeing more of that ‘reimagined’ red than ever before – because earlier this month, as part of its social media teaser campaign, Ferrari released an image of an F1 wheel with a red wheel cover, finished off with a yellow ring around the wheel hub. The message simply read “we hope you like red.”
Where will the white appear?
The subtle but strong appearance of white on the new clothing – and the remarks made by Sainz on first seeing the race suits – suggest that the livery of the car might be brightened up with white, possibly even returning to the look of the dominant Schumacher era in the early 2000s and Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari days.
Back then, the front and rear wings were white – although that was mostly due to the team’s tobacco and mobile phone sponsors at the time. That trend continued for more than a decade until the switch to red in 2018 and the subsequent move to black wings for the last two years. So maybe this year could see a switch back?
Yellow will be appearing, that is for certain
Ferrari has a long history with the colour yellow – but it is a pretty safe bet that the team will not go as far as they did when they officially entered a car in all-yellow at the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix, reflecting the national racing colour of its Belgian driver Olivier Gendebien as well as the Belgian importer who paid for it to compete.
Since then, however, yellow has appeared on-and-off in different ways. The 312 F1-68 had two yellow stripes along its length in the late 1960s, while in the 1980s the colour was used in two square patches on the front and rear wings to distinguish the different cars and the team’s clothing went the whole hog, with mechanics and engineers in all-yellow shirts.
The yellow has returned in special liveries at the team’s home race in Monza over the last two seasons, with the 2022 car seeing its engine cover and rear wing endplates turned yellow, while last year’s one-off design had the tip of the nose turned yellow and a heavy yellow slash filling a third of the engine cover.
Will Ferrari go for full zig-zag or racing stripes?
Last year’s Monza livery celebrated the marque’s success at Le Mans with a bold yellow engine cover flash that mimicked the full yellow zig-zag on the race-winning 499P Hypercar. That car also had a yellow screen visor with Ferrari word logo – so could we expect a similar commitment in F1 this year? Yellow Ferrari halo anyone? Ooh, yes please!
Given the more subtle way yellow has been used on the clothing, it may be a bit more of a gentle integration this season. Puma says its style of detailing “adds a dynamic and visually striking dimension” to the clothing... what is the most dynamic and visually striking look on a racing car? Yellow go-faster stripes, of course. Not long now before we find out…
Be part of this thrilling chapter of PUMA and Scuderia Ferrari by securing your piece of the Replica Collection. The items are now available at selected PUMA and Ferrari stores, as well as online on puma.com and store.ferrari.com.
