Ferrari stole the spotlight today with a Michael Schumacher-inspired livery for their home race at Monza.
There are just a few days left before Formula One heads to Monza for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. So, it's only right that today's top F1 news is dominated by new liveries and several upgrade updates. Let's get right to it.
Ferrari unveils Schumacher tribute livery
To celebrate Michael Schumacher's debut season with the team 30 years ago, Ferrari will be using a one-off livery that resembles the 1996 F310. The livery offers a deeper red finish, gold-tinted wheels, Schumacher's signature, and his seven-star helmet logo. Schumacher has won seven World Championships, including two in Benetton (1994, 1995) and five straight in Ferrari (2000-2004).
Along with the car's livery, Ferrari made changes to the tracksuits of both their drivers and mechanics. It's a full-on celebration for the Prancing Horse, but we'll see if they can cap it with a home victory in Monza.
McLaren brings their own new livery
In celebration of their partnership with OKX, a cryptocurrency exchange and digital asset ecosystem, McLaren is launching an enhanced livery for Monza and Madrid. The Silverstone-based team also did this in 2025, when they unveiled a Riviera-inspired livery in both races. For this year, the MCL40 keeps it signature orange base, but the OKX branding gets more emphasis across the car.
Moreover, the car takes on a predominantly black rear wing, a sharp contrast to the usual papaya. Wider black panels also run along the sidepods.
McLaren new H-wing rear wing concept
After starting the season poorly, McLaren has successfully introduced upgrades that led them to back-to-back wins, including the most recent Dutch Grand Prix win by Lando Norris. Apparently, the team isn't finished yet. In Monza, they'll bring their own take on the rotating rear-wing technology, which they're calling the "H-wing."
McLaren's new rear wing should address the low-drag demands of the Monza circuit.
Red Bull signs Gianpiero Lambiase replacement
With their current head of racing and Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase leaving for McLaren in 2028, Red Bull Racing has signed Aston Martin engineer Tom McCullough. The British engineer is serving as Performance Director of Aston Martin's Performance Technologies division, but he will leave after this season.
Starting 2027, McCullough will assume Lambiase's head of racing role. Meanwhile, Red Bull is lining up performance engineer Tom Hart to replace Lambiase as Verstappen's race engineer in 2028.
Qatar insists F1 race is still on
The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) is still preparing to host F1 and MotoGP in November. Despite the ongoing instability in the region, the QMMF is giving F1 the green light for now. Expect F1 to make a final decision on the race probably around mid-September.
