What made Ferrari add yellow to F1-75 racer for Monza?

Without a doubt, rosso (or Italian for red) has always been synonymous with Ferrari. But for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, the Prancing Horse is adding another color that is very much a part of its rich history.

Scuderia Ferrari is lining up their F1-75 challenger to the Monza grid with a splash of Giallo Modena (Modena Yellow) to its predominantly red and black livery. The changes which are only intended for this race weekend were made to celebrate the 75 years of Ferrari cars as well as the 100th anniversary of the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

Yellow will be visible on the F1-75's front wing, halo, engine cover, and rear wing, where the famous “Ferrari” font will be proudly displayed. In addition, aside from the drivers' helmets and overalls, touches of yellow will also be seen in the team's paddock, motorhome, and on the walls of its pit garage.

For those that don't know, it was Enzo Ferrari who chose yellow as the dominant feature of the brand's emblem when he established the Scuderia in 1929. The yellow color was taken from the coat of arms of Modena, Italy – the place where Enzo was born.

But back then, the International Association of Recognised Automobile Clubs (now known as the FIA) set red as the official color of Italian racing cars. Thus, Enzo Ferrari had to go along with racing Alfa Romeos under the team name Scuderia Ferrari wearing red paint. The famous emblem made its debut in the 1932 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps where drivers Antonio Brivio and Eugenio Siena brought victory to the Scuderia. Since then, the yellow emblem has been featured on Ferrari cars as the second color of the Maranello brand.

And thus, Ferrari is racing in its home grand prix using yellow to bring forth good fortune as its emblem did back in 1932. The team's last victory in Monza came in 2019 when current driver Charles Leclerc held off a charging Lewis Hamilton. With only seven races to go in the calendar, here's to hoping the Italian team regains its early season form and bring the fight to Red Bull down to the wire.