Ferrari Is Going To Get A Little Blue In Miami To Pay Tribute To Team History

The first Formula 1 race of the season on American soil is this weekend, and Ferrari is trotting out a special livery for the occasion with hints of a color not seen on modern Ferraris, but one that still plays a role in the team's history: blue.

Now, the typical Ferrari red — Rosso Corsa — livery is so iconic I get a little nervous every time they say they're going to do something different.

That's how I felt when Ferrari spent about a week and a half teasing a new blue livery for the Miami Grand Prix, but I think they did a nice job pulling it off.

I like my Ferraris in red and yellow, but I'm not going to lie to you. I like this, and I think it looks especially good with the new HP logos. Miami will be the first Grand Prix with the tech giant as the team's title sponsor.

John Surtees drives a North American Racing Team Ferrari 158 in the 1964 Grand Prix of Mexico. (Photo by Bernard Cahier/Getty Images)

Ferrari Has More Blue In Its History Than You May Realize

The Scuderia says the two shades of blue are called Azzurro La Plata and Azzurro Dino, and they are a nod to the team's history. American Ferrari importer, Luigi Chinetti ran Ferrari 158s in a couple of races in 1964 with liveries consisting of a white chassis and a blue stripe.

Blue was also used on team firesuits and uniforms at points in the team's history — including the mid-'70s when F1 legend Niki Lauda was driving for the team — and it was a lucky color for legendary driver and two-time Formula 1 champ Alberto Ascarri who drove a Ferrari 375 with a blue nose in the 1952 Indianapolis 500.

So, blue and Ferrari go together quite nicely. I'm glad they didn't just dunk the car in blue and called it a day. There are more than enough blue cars on the grid already.

Plus, I would've felt bad for fans who shelled out tons of dough to go to the race. 

If you're going to spend that kind of money, you want to see a red Ferrari on track, and you'd be disappointed otherwise. That's how I feel about a lot of specialty liveries and uniforms across sports. Sure, they can be cool, but if I'm only getting to one game or one race a year, I want to see the classic look.

Fortunately, there's still plenty of red to keep us all happy, and I think this puppy will look pretty good flying around the Miami International Autodrome.