Ferrari to race in special livery at Monza honoring Niki Lauda’s 1975 title; Hamilton hit with five-place grid penalty for yellow flag breach
Monza
Ferrari have unveiled a special livery for the Italian Grand Prix, celebrating 50 years since Niki Lauda’s championship-winning 1975 season. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will sport the retro-inspired design on their SF-25 cars when they take to the iconic Monza circuit this weekend.
The updated livery features prominent white accents on the engine covers, retro number styling, and classic wheel covers, paying homage to the Ferrari 312T that carried Lauda to the Drivers’ Championship and secured the Constructors’ title for the Scuderia in 1975.
The Italian GP marks Hamilton’s first race at Monza as a Ferrari driver. However, the seven-time World Champion faces an uphill battle after being handed a five-place grid penalty. The penalty stems from a yellow flag infringement during reconnaissance laps ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.
The penalty follows a challenging weekend at Zandvoort, where Hamilton crashed out at Turn 3 in wet conditions, while teammate Leclerc retired after colliding with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in the same section, resulting in a double DNF for Ferrari.
In its report, the FIA confirmed that the breach occurred in a double yellow flag zone near the pit entry. Drivers are required to reduce speed significantly in such conditions, the stewards noted, explaining that the investigation was delayed as telemetry data from both the FIA and Ferrari were reviewed before the decision was finalized.
Ferrari will look to bounce back in front of their home crowd as they aim for a strong performance in the second home race of their season.
