Blue, yellow and green: when Ferrari didn't race in red

For many road and race fans around the world, the words Ferrari means red. That deep rosso corsa scarlet which adorns its racing prototypes and each new road car launched is the embodiment of the Modena firm’s rich, Italian racing heritage.

Next weekend at the Miami GP though, the cars (and likely the racing suits too) will be infused with a dash of azzurro la plata and azzurro dino, an apparent nod to historic uses of blue throughout its history – and also signals a new commercial tie-up with sponsor Hewlett-Packard, naturally.

The Florida event has been chosen due to the fact that it will soon be 70 years since Ferrari began to import the Maranello cars to the US, under the business direction of founder Enzo Ferrari’s old associate Luigi Chinetti.

The last time that the works F1 squad cars ran in any other colours than red was the 1964 Mexican GP, when the cars ran in the blue and white of the North American Racing Team. However prior to that, privateer Ferraris would appear at events not just in various shades of azure but also green and yellow.

In addition to this, a certain shade of blue became associated with Ferrari throughout the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, being used not only in driver overalls but also on wheel hubs and the edges of bodywork – a similar tone to that of HP, handily.

We run through the blue and also the various times Ferrari liveries have gone a bit off-message.

1964 US and Mexican GPs – John Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini

In a not-unfamiliar FIA-themed feud, team founder Enzo Ferrari declared in late 1964 that never again would his cars race in red after the governing body (then called the ACI) refused to homologate his new 250 LM sports car for the World Endurance Championship that year.

Thus, with two championship races left togo, the cars of John Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini would run at Watkins Glen and Mexico City in the blue and white colours of North American Racing Team, the squad used to promote Luigi Chinetti’s exclusive Ferrari import business – though, according to our correspondent Denis Jenkinson at the time, it caught the paddock off-guard:

Overall blue: Ferrari’s azure racewear

Azzurro La Plata, as referred to by Ferrari in its announcement, pays homage to the various overalls worn by Scuderia race drivers of yesteryear. These include the blue shirts which Alberto Ascari wore during the 1950s, becoming somewhat of a signature for the Italian hero along with his crash helmet.

In the ’60s and into the ’70s, Surtees, Chris Amon, Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda were notted Ferrari pilots who became synonymous with blue overalls. Ferrari says that both this lighter blue and the darker shade of NART will be used in a one-off livery for Miami.

When Ferrari F1 cars went yellow: Olivier Gendebien and Chico Landi 

Highlights of yellow have often been used on Ferraris throughout the years, but there have been races when the privateer cars have switched to the shade all over.

Brazilian racer Chico Landi entered races in his home country in a yellow Ferrari single-seater, as well as Formula Libre races elsewhere.

The most well-known yellow Fezzas are that of the Ecurie Nationale Belgique and Ecurie Francorchamps, with the latter funded by Belgian Ferrari importer Jacques Swaters.

He himself competed in privateer yellow Ferrari 500s in the early ’50s, before funding a fourth car in the works F1 team for Olivier Gendebien at the 1961 Belgian GP – with it running in resplendent yellow.

That extra entry led to an unprecedented 1-2-3-4 for Phil Hill, Wolfgang von Trips, Richie Ginther and Gendebien.

Ferrari’s British Racing Green Thinwall grand prix cars

Vanwall is known as the team to break the Italo-German stronghold on the F1 championship, being the first squad to take the newly inaugurated constructors’ crown in 1958.

However prior to that, Tony Vandervell’s team actually competed in minor Formula Libre races using modified Ferraris.