F1 / Disney: safety car to feature Lightning McQueen (Cars) livery at 2026 Italian Grand Prix

The Walt Disney Company, through its Cars franchise, is activating its partnership with Formula One Group with a dedicated initiative around the safety car at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix in Monza (scheduled for Sunday 6 September), the governing body of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship announced on 3 September 2026.

A car featuring Lightning McQueen, the main character in the three Cars animated films, will complete an honorary lap of the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza circuit "sporting an all-new look inspired by the Formula 1 x Disney collaboration," Formula One Group said. The safety car used during the race weekend will also feature a dedicated Cars livery, as the franchise celebrates its 20^th anniversary in 2026. "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," F1 added.

The partnership between Formula One Management (FOM) and Disney, which began in May 2025, was extended through 2028 and expanded to the Cars franchise on 13 August 2026. A first Cars x…