Lewis Hamilton pays homage to Michael Schumacher ahead of Ferrari’s Monza tribute
Lewis Hamilton pays homage to Michael Schumacher ahead of Ferrari’s Monza tribute
Kieran JacksonThu, September 3, 2026 at 12:30 PM UTC
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Lewis Hamilton paid homage to Michael Schumacher ahead of an Italian Grand Prix weekend where Ferrari will adorn a special livery in tribute to the F1 legend.
Joining the team 30 years ago, Schumacher won five of his seven world championships at Ferrari and the prancing horse outfit announced plans earlier this week to dedicate their cars and race suits to the German legend.
The cars of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will sport a livery inspired by the 1996 Ferrari F310, which the German drove in his debut year, and will feature hints of gold on the wheels similar to the ’96 model.
Ferrari will pay tribute to Michael Schumacher with a special livery this weekend at Monza (Scuderia Ferrari)
The car will also feature Schumacher’s logo and the seven stars that used to adorn his helmet, signifying his seven titles – a feat matched only by Hamilton. Ex-Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel will also drive Schumacher’s championship-winning 2022 car for a “celebratory” lap before Sunday’s grand prix.
Asked about representing Ferrari at Monza for the second time, Hamilton said in a press conference on Thursday: “It is the best feeling, such an honour and a privilege to be a Ferrari driver. It is really phenomenal to experience it for the second year in a row.”
“I haven't seen the [Schumacher] livery yet, but those seven stars that we will have, like mine, give me a good feeling.”
“I always remember seeing Michael in the red car, and just trying to imagine what it would feel like to be in his shoes. He was such a leader.”
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While championship leader Kimi Antonelli will take a grid penalty for exceeding his engine allocation and is set to start at the back of the grid, Ferrari have brought a power unit upgrade for round 13.
“Every little helps,” said Hamilton, who won his first race for Ferrari in Barcelona in June. “Even the last race, we were losing four tenths on the straight. I'm really proud of how hard everyone is working, in the factory, heads down.”
Hamilton poses next to his F40 car outside the Monza paddock (Getty)
“This is a step forward. It is not the whole gap we need, we knew that would be the case but just to see things coming to the car, it is exciting to see we are still pushing.”
Hamilton drove into the Monza paddock on Thursday in his own recently acquired F40 car, emblazoned with his own personal number plate and, seemingly by coincidence, a “number 44 engine.”
"I've been looking for one for a while, and I wanted one with low mileage,” he explained. “I wanted one with a story, and lots have come up in auction over the past couple of years.
“When they took the engine out, they found out the engine's number 44, it's got stamped on the engine, number 44, I couldn't believe it.
“It feels very much fate and I thought it was a real opportunity to kind of highlight the history of Ferrari in their home country, at their race, and when am I ever going to get to do that again?”
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
