Ferrari is competing in the Formula 1 race in Austin with a special livery: the design of Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars has an unusual background
Ferrari has unveiled a special design for the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The two SF-26s driven by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will feature a design that highlights the development process of a Formula 1 car: from the initial sketch through to technical drawings and finally the finished racing car.
This is not about a fundamental change to the familiar Ferrari look, but rather about making the development work – which is normally hidden from view – visible.
Ferrari describes the idea behind the design as follows: every racing car begins with a line on paper. Before a Formula 1 car takes to the racetrack for the first time, designers, engineers and technicians spend months working on its construction. According to Ferrari, it is precisely this work that the special livery is intended to highlight.
Silvia Cavallaro, Head of Colour Design at Ferrari, explains the approach as follows: “The livery celebrates the journey from idea to reality. After all, every Ferrari begins with creativity, sketches and technical expertise, long before the car hits the racetrack.”
Technical drawings as a design element
The design draws on sketches, engineering drawings and so-called blueprints. These are technical drawings that depict, amongst other things, components and their dimensions. Such representations are normally found exclusively in development documents or digital design models. For Austin, these elements are now becoming part of the SF-26’s exterior design.
In doing so, Ferrari aims to highlight the work that is not usually visible at a Grand Prix. According to the manufacturer, the design is also intended to pay tribute to the numerous staff members involved in the development of Formula 1 cars away from the racetrack.
How the Ferrari special livery is created
In terms of technical implementation, the intricate designs had to be transferred onto the complex contours of the Formula 1 car’s bodywork. According to Ferrari, this required several phases of testing and refinement. The aim was to reproduce the graphic details as precisely as possible whilst ensuring they could withstand the conditions of a race weekend.
According to the companies involved, a latex printing technology from Ferrari’s title sponsor, HP, was used to print the designs onto the films.
Alongside Ferrari, several other Formula 1 teams will be competing in Austin with special liveries, including Aston Martin and Mercedes, as well as the two US teams, Cadillac and Haas.