Ferraris have frequently competed in different colors, even in the realm of Formula 1. In 1949, Juan Manuel Fangio raced his government-owned Argentine national Ferrari 166, which featured a white and blue color scheme, in his home Temporada races. During F1’s inaugural year in 1950, Raymond Sommer’s factory rental Ferrari 125 was painted blue. In 1952, Frenchman Louis Rosier drove a blue Ferrari, and in 1959, American Phil Hill’s Dino 246 was also blue for his home Grand Prix. Olivier Gendebien’s 156, representing Maranello’s Belgian agent to Ecurie Francorchamps, was yellow at Spa in 1961, while the other three 156s raced in the classic red.
Interestingly, red is the traditional racing color of Italy. This is peculiar considering that the country’s other national sports teams, such as the soccer Azzurri and the rugby Blu, as well as its athletes, all wear blue. The story of the blue Ferraris, however, took shape relatively late in 1964. According to legend, Il Commendatore Enzo Ferrari removed the red paint from his cars as a form of protest against the Italian ACI’s failure to intervene in a dispute between Drake and the FIA regarding the 250 LM sportscar.
According to the story, there was an argument between Enzo and the FIA regarding the previous 250 GTO sportscars being moved around Maranello during the car’s 1962 homologation count at the factory. However, let’s not get sidetracked… In defiance of his governing body’s ignorance, Enzo decided not to race in Italy’s beloved red color (rosso corsa) again until the ACI took action against the FIA’s refusal to count the LM, so that it could participate in the race.
Ferrari returned his competition license to the ACI in a furious manner, accompanied by a not-so-polite Italian vocabulary. He also made a promise to never race in red again. The problem was, there were still two races left in the 1964 F1 season. The next one happened to be the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.
True to his word, Ferrari surprised the world when his two 158 V8s arrived in America painted in Yankee blue and white. They were also entered by the North American Racing Team (NART), not SEFAC Ferrari! With Ferrari’s US importer Luigi Chinetti, who was also a skilled racer, at the helm, John Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini raced in American national colors at the Glen, instead of the usual Italian red.
Surtees finished second at the Glen, and with the 250 LM dispute still unresolved, the cars once again appeared in NART blue and white for the season finale in Mexico. It turned out to be a remarkable success. John Surtees finished second, securing the 1964 Formula 1 World Driver’s Championship. Surtees’ achievement was unique as he added the F1 Title to his motorcycle World Championships.
Embarrassed by Ferrari winning the Title in American colors, the ACI eventually gave in and approached the FIA to request homologation for the 250 LM. Naturally, the Ferraris were back to being red at the start of the 1965 season. Enzo certainly had his own methods. Interestingly, on the two most recent occasions when Ferraris raced in colors other than red, Maranello went on to win the Championship…
Ferrari has announced that their cars will showcase Azzurro Dino and Azzurro La Plata blue shades in their liveries to celebrate 70 years in the US at the upcoming Miami Grand Prix. The team and drivers will also incorporate some blue into their attire in Miami. It is worth noting that the last Ferrari driver to not race in red overalls was F1 World Champion Jody Scheckter in 1979, when he wore white and blue overalls in Brooklyn. The team has been dressed in red since the early ’90s when they transitioned from yellow suits due to fireproof overalls becoming mandatory in the pitlane.
We will have to wait and see how much blue will be present on the Ferraris in Miami when the team arrives in Florida. Will the Scuderia be bold enough to go all the way? Well, Surtees’ F1 Championship-winning car was painted white and Azzurro Dino, with Azzurro La Plata wheels. Our rendering at the top shows how that could look on the SF-24.
What are your thoughts? Now we just have to wait and see what the team unveils in Miami next week. Let the anticipation begin!