The Formula 1 safety car has gotten an amazing new look for Monza, and fans are sure to love it!
Formula 1 fans are in for a fun surprise at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Round 13 of the season brings F1 to one of its most loved and tough tracks. It’s a place where the safety car often comes out, and this time it will have a special look that motorsport and Disney fans will recognize right away.
Thanks to a partnership between F1, Disney, and Mercedes-AMG, the safety car will be dressed up as Lightning McQueen, the famous character from the Disney Pixar movie Cars.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the movie, which came out in 2006 and made a big impact on many. To celebrate, Lightning McQueen will make a special honorary lap during the race weekend.
Formula 1 said, “Twenty years after racing into theaters and the hearts of fans around the world, Lightning McQueen arrives at Monza with a fresh new look inspired by the F1 x Disney collaboration. The seven-time Piston Cup champ will join race weekend fun, creating a special moment for fans of Formula 1, Disney, and Pixar alike.”
Also, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ safety car, introduced earlier this season, gets a unique Cars-inspired makeover just for this weekend’s race. It’s the first FIA Formula 1 Safety Car with full all-wheel drive and the 14th to wear the famous three-pointed star. This design celebrates 20 years of Cars stories on one of motorsport’s biggest stages.
Since Emilia-Romagna is off the calendar, the Italian GP has become the home race for championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The 20-year-old has already won 6 of the 12 races this season and missed the podium only twice.
His second place behind Lando Norris at last month’s Dutch GP helped him pull ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who rounds out the top four. Antonelli finished ninth in his first Monza race last year, but this time he’s seen as a favorite.
His toughest rivals are likely to be seven-time world champion Hamilton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Thanks to new F1 rules on power unit upgrades, both Ferrari drivers will enjoy performance boosts this weekend.