Ferrari tifosi
Supporters of the Italian luxury car manufacturer Ferrari
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In auto racing, the word tifosi has been commonly associated with fans of the Italian luxury car manufacturer Ferrari and its auto racing division, Scuderia Ferrari. The Ferrari tifosi's origins date back to 1929 when Enzo Ferrari founded Scuderia Ferrari. Members of the tifo - which span across numerous age groups, genders, and walks of life - support the brand through numerous ways, including purchasing Ferrari's road cars,[2][3][4] supporting the racing teams, and purchasing Ferrari merchandise. Members of the tifo are described to be very passionate for the brand;[5][6] some are described as one of the brand's most passionate fans.[7] The tifo has a global reach,[1] though they are most commonly found at Monza Circuit for the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which is Ferrari's home race.
| Ferrari tifosi | |
|---|---|
Tifosi Ferrari at the 2003 Italian Grand Prix | |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Type | Supporters' group |
| Team | Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari AF Corse |
| Motto | Forza Ferrari |
| Location | Maranello, Italy |
| Arena | Mainly Monza Circuit |
| Membership | +400 million +180 Clubs +23,000 Club Members[1] |
| Colors | Rosso corsa |
| Affiliations | Scuderia Ferrari Club |
| Website | Scuderia Ferrari Club |
History
Early history
Ferrari's auto racing division, Scuderia Ferrari, had always attracted fans ever since its formation by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 to allow the entry of amateur drivers who were driving Alfa Romeo-produced cars (Alfa Romeo withdrew from racing by 1933 due to economical difficulties, and Ferrari began to produce their own cars following the war, by 1947); during its early years, Scuderia Ferrari competed at the Targa Florio, Mille Miglia, and later on the 24 Hours of Le Mans and eventually Formula One. These events, alongside Ferrari's early successes, exposed its brand to a wider audience, leading to the formation of a dedicated fanbase.[8] The 1957 Mille Miglia tragedy, which led to the death of twelve people, marked the end of the Mille Miglia as a whole, and involved Scuderia Ferrari driver Alfonso de Portago, put the team and founder Enzo in crisis, as he was prosecuted on eleven counts of manslaughter before being acquitted in 1961. Enzo was also still grieving from the death of his son Dino the previous year in 1956. It was during this time that the Italian press harshly criticised him, even defining him as a modern Saturn who devours his own children.[9]
In the years following the Mille Miglia tragedy, the fans' support gradually returned, both for Enzo Ferrari's dedication to his work in developing racing and sports cars, for his sporting victories and for the development of the factory. Ferrari continued to gather successes on-track, which mostly came thanks to Fiat's investment in the brand before withdrawing by the early 70s, and the hiring of Luca di Montezemolo, who was called by Enzo Ferrari, a very young graduate, first as his assistant in 1973 and then as team manager of Scuderia Ferrari in 1975.[10] However, at the same time, Ferrari went through economical issues that made competing in sporting events difficult, with deals with other manufacturers such as Ford falling through - this also spawning a rivalry that culminated at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, which Ford won - eventually leading up to the sale of the company in 1969, when Enzo Ferrari decided to dedicate himself to sports competitions while Ferrari would be a subsidiary of Fiat. Fiat's financial support was crucial for Ferrari. From 1973, Fiat reduced Ferrari's motorsport activities to Formula 1 only, and from that year onwards, Ferrari no longer participated in endurance races. The 1973 oil crisis also contributed to this decision.[9]
Formula One
Where the tifo is most prevalent, however, is Formula One, with numerous fans showing up to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza; before its removal from the calendar after 2025, they were also found at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix/San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. One of the most common sights of the tifo on the track is a big Ferrari flag adorning the grandstands. Ferrari's victories at the Italian Grand Prix, including the 2010, their first since 2006, 2011, 2019 and most recently 2024 races, tend to end with the tifo swarming the track in joy.
The Ferrari tifo stuck by the team during their struggles in the 80s and early 90s, with World Champion Michael Schumacher's successes in the mid-to-late 90s and early 2000s bringing in new members of the tifo. However, some of Schumacher's actions were reviled by local fans: after attempting to take out Jacques Villeneuve during the championship-deciding 1997 European Grand Prix, they turned against Schumacher, with some publications stating that he deserved to be sacked. Another incident revolving around the use of team orders to his teammate Rubens Barrichello, telling him to cede the lead to Schumacher, was also sharply criticised.
The tifo had an uneasy relationship with Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, who dominated the turbo-hybrid and ground effect eras, respectively, with the group jeering drivers from either team who either won or made the podium. In particular, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix four times and made his Italian Grand Prix debut for Ferrari in the 2025 race, where he finished sixth with an uneasy car. In the 2020s, however, the tifosi have again shown appreciation for drivers outside Ferrari. Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who won in 2025, expressed delight at being "properly cheered" by the Italian fans, and observed that it was the first time he felt genuine support from the Ferrari faithful; stating that "the entire straight was filled with people, this was the first time tifosi properly cheered for me! The last two times I won here, the competition was Ferrari, and they were a little less happy with it."[11] Of note, the 2022 Italian Grand Prix was marred by reports of fan harassment against fans of Verstappen, and against members of Verstappen's family.[12][13]