The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana ) turned 100 on June 2023, and Scuderia Ferrari, the Formula One arm of the famous luxury sports car manufacturer, is now preparing to mark the occasion in its own special way.
The car racing team is set to honor its home country’s air force at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, which will take place in Monza, in northern Italy, between September 1 and 3, 2023.
Ferrari’s bright red racing cars will feature special stickers celebrating the Italian Air Force past, present and future. The stickers feature the slogan In volo verso il futuro (‘flying towards the future’), as well as the centenary dates (1923-2023) and the silhouettes of a 1920s aircraft alongside that of a Lockheed F-35 fighter jet, the most modern combat aircraft in Italy’s arsenal.
Italy is an active participant in the F-35 program. Indeed, it’s the first country outside of the US to have assembled this advanced combat aircraft.
The Aeronautica Militare will return the favor by performing a flypast at the opening of the Formula One Grand Prix. It won’t be the F-35, but instead 9 Aermacchi MB-339PAN training and combat aircraft that will fly over Monza’s ‘Autodromo’ right after an interpretation of the Italian national anthem. The jets also intend to set a new world record by flying the longest tricolor flag.
The Italian Air Force had its own celebratory event on June 16-19, 2023 at the Pratica di Mare airbase near Rome. On that occasion, it performed an air display that included aircraft types it currently operates as well as historical types such as the F-104 Starfighter and the FIAT G.91R.