Hungarian Rhapsody

Scuderia Ferrari delivered one of its most emphatic victories at the 2004 Hungarian Grand Prix, as it simultaneously secured its sixth successive constructors’ world championship. The scarlet cars started 1-2 on the grid, finished first and second in the race and led home the third-placed driver by 40 seconds. The Scuderia also took fastest lap of the race. Today, the car responsible, the F2004, is celebrated in the form of a dedicated livery configuration thanks to the Ferrari Atelier.

Watch the film of the Hungarian GP-tribute 296 GTB Assetto Fiorano

Just five Ferrari 296 GTB Assetto Fiorano with this special configuration will be produced, weaving history, innovation, and exclusivity together in a 2023 tribute to one of the marque’s most successful grand prix cars. It is a harmonious and spirited convergence of past glory, contemporary vision, and the very latest in powertrain technology. Like the F2004 single-seater, this mid-engined machine is the zenith of Maranello-born state-of-the-art. The Ferrari Atelier car doesn’t merely tell the story of an icon, it rejuvenates it. It is an ode to Ferrari’s unrelenting pursuit of performance and ensures that the legacy of that glorious chapter in the Scuderia Ferrari’s history remains as vibrant as ever.

The first of the five cars was unveiled in Budapest before a select gathering of passionate Ferrari patrons and in the presence of Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur. In a remarkable parallel, Ferrari’s dominant victory 19 years ago coincided with the Lippi family opening Ferrari’s first dealership in the Hungarian capital. All five cars have been sold in advance to Hungarian customers.

The Ferrari Atelier-produced 296 GTB is in the same shade of red and white as the F2004 F1 car

The car’s lineage is clear from the n°1 seen on its nose. The racing number is displayed in the original font, rendered in Bianco King white, just as it was on the F2004. Note, too, the same shade of Rosso F1, a three-layer metallic red, and Bianco King detailing to the front, rear, the cockpit roof and lower flanks. It represents an emotional collaboration between Ferrari Atelier, the production department, and the Formula One team.

Inspired by the F2004, as the carbon-fibre plaque says, but very much a forward-thinking sports car

This unique specification is more than skin deep. The 296 GTB Assetto Fiorano has been configured for the track complete with special GT racing-derived Multimatic shock absorbers and a circuit-optimised carbon-fibre high-downforce front spoiler. Ferrari-badged four-point safety harnesses have been fitted to the driver and passenger seat, with the Hungaroring track outline and Hungarian flag stitched on both headrests. 

Every aspect of the Ferrari 296 GTB interior is designed to redefine the notion of 'fun to drive'

A potent reminder of Ferrari’s dominance of grand prix racing during the early years of this millennium, the 296 GTB Assetto Fiorano paying tribute to the F2004 is also a forward-looking supercar capturing not only the essence of Ferrari’s sporting heritage, but the absolute cutting-edge of science and technology, creating a soulful berlinetta that straddles time.