The Red and the Yellow. The history of Ferrari’s Most Famous Colors

Enzo Ferrari would say “ask a kid to draw a sports car, he would make it red”.

Since the beginning of Ferrari racing in Formula 1, the organization assigns colors according to the nationality a team represents. This is like how athletes at the Olympics are assigned uniforms according to the country they represent. Ferrari colors are synonymous with the brand its racing prowess.

Ferrari Colors: The Rosso Corsa

Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia and Ferrari representing Italy were assigned with red. Each of these brands then decided to pick a shade of red. For example, Ferrari chose what today is called Rosso Mugello.  This Ferrari sub-color was decided to explicitly distinguish one car maker from another. In addition, the colors make the car easy to recognize for mechanics and marshals there to chronometer the race.

Ferrari Colors: The Giallo Corsa

The livery of the car would correspond to the nation that team represents. During the 1961 Formula 1 season, at the Belgium Grand Prix, a Ferrari is used by a Belgian team (the flemish assigned color) led by driver Olivier Gendebien. The rest is history, with three red Ferrari 156 F1 in the podium, and the Gendebien finishing fourth, contributing to give Ferrari the “Gran Chelem”, which is pole position, fastest lap and win, leading the race from beginning to end.

The “third”  Ferrari color

To find another Ferrari in Formula 1 that is not red, we backtrack to 1964. John Surtees is competing for the World Driver Championship. With two Grand Prix left, USA & Mexico, the 158 F1 shows the USA livery, white (with fading blue stripes). This illustrated Enzo’s protest to give permission to the Scuderia to finish the season with the new 250 LM.

Ferrari races under North American Racing, the team owned by an importer, Luigi Chinetti. Surtees had two races that made it to the ultimate podium, winning the 1964 Formula One driver championship, and making history becoming World champion in Formula 1 and Moto GP.