Formula 1 safety car gets a brilliant Monza makeover and fans will absolutely love it
Formula 1 fans will be treated to an unusual sight during this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Round 13 of the season takes F1 to one of its most beloved and challenging circuits. It always has the potential to demand the deployment of the safety car and lovers of motorsport and Disney will recognise its one-off special livery when it takes to the track on Sunday.
As part of an ongoing commercial partnership, F1 and Disney have joined forces with Mercedes-AMG to kit the safety car out as Lightning McQueen, the most recognisable character from the Disney and Pixar classic Cars.
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Lightning McQueen safety car marks 20 years of ‘Cars’
The popular animated movie was released in 2006 and left a significant cultural imprint. Sunday's safety car livery celebrates its 20th anniversary as McQueen himself also makes a special appearance including an honorary lap of the track.
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"Twenty years after racing into theaters and the hearts of fans around the world, Lightning McQueen is arriving at Monza sporting an all-new look inspired by the Formula 1 x Disney collaboration," announced Formula 1.
"The seven-time Piston Cup champion will make a special appearance during race weekend, including an honorary lap, creating a landmark crossover moment for Formula 1, Disney, and Pixar fans alike.
"As an additional celebration moment, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+, introduced earlier this season at the FORMULA 1 AWS HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2026, will receive a bespoke Cars-inspired makeover created exclusively for race weekend.
"The high-performance vehicle serves as the first Official FIA Formula 1 Safety Car equipped with fully variable all-wheel drive and marks the 14th Official FIA Formula 1 Safety Car to carry the iconic three-pointed star. The special design brings together the worlds of Formula 1, Disney and Pixar paying tribute to two decades of Cars storytelling on one of motorsport’s biggest stages."
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All eyes on Kimi Antonelli at the Italian Grand Prix
With Emilia-Romagna no longer on the calendar, the Italian GP is now the de facto home race for drivers' championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
The 20-year-old has won six of this season's 12 Grands Prix to date and has missed out on the podium on just two occasions.
His second-placed finish behind Lando Norris at last month's Dutch GP strengthened his lead over George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who completed the top four at Zandvoort and sit between Antonelli at the top of the standings and Norris in fourth.
The young Italian crossed the finish line in ninth place in his Monza debut last year but returns as favourite this weekend.
Antonelli's biggest challenge could be seven-time world champion Hamilton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. The Scuderia pair will benefit from power unit upgrades thanks to F1's new Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) rules.
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Topics: Formula 1
Chris Nee