Beyond Racing: Ferrari as Italy’s Cultural Identity

This week, Formula 1 returns to Italy, and with it comes one of the sport's most powerful fan bases, the tifosi. As Will Buxton said, "There are two religions in Italy, there's the Catholic Church and there's Ferrari." At Monza, the grandstands do not just fill with fans; they transform into a sea of red. Smoke bombs are released into the air, flags whip around in the wind, and chants fill the city. For Ferrari fans, this is more than just a sporting event. It's a celebration of who they are. 

Ferrari is woven into Italy's cultural fabric in a way that no other Formula 1 team can match. Wins are not just for the Prancing Horses; they are for the whole nation. In 2024, when Charles Leclerc crossed the line first, the eruption of cheers from the tifosi was pure madness. Fans rushed to the racetrack, creating an energy so powerful that it could be felt through the screen. Many people on the internet even joked that Scuderia's win made the nation's birth rate spike. 

Part of what makes Ferrari's Italian fanbase so unique is its generational loyalty. The team joined the circuit in 1950; it is the oldest surviving and most successful Formula 1 team in history. Over the course of decades, Ferrari has built generations of loyal fans. Stories are passed down through lineages, grandparents bring their grandchildren to the track, and families camp outside the circuit for days. The fandom is part of tradition, inherited and celebrated, embraced like a religion. 

Earlier this season, when Ferrari returned to Imola for the first Italian race of the year, the passion of the tifosi was on full display. Just 50 miles away from their headquarters in Maranello, Italy, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola is primarily considered to be Ferrari's home race. Even without a podium finish from the two Scuderia drivers, the crowd remained strong. The grandstands stayed vibrant, the chants did not falter, and the devotion of the fans reminded the world of the loyal supporters Ferrari has backing them up.