Ka-chow! Lightning McQueen has officially made his way from Radiator Springs to one of the most legendary racetracks in the world.
Disney and Formula 1 are taking their growing “Fuel the Magic” collaboration to another level this weekend as Lightning McQueen arrives at the Formula 1 Gran Premio d’Italia 2026 in Monza, Italy.
Disney says the Piston Cup champion will serve as the official support vehicle for the race weekend, taking place September 4–6, while debuting an all-new look inspired by the Disney x Formula 1 collaboration. The appearance comes just ahead of Lightning McQueen Day on September 5 and during the 20th anniversary year of Disney and Pixar’s Cars.And apparently, we have one familiar Italian race car to thank for getting him there.
According to Disney, Lightning McQueen arrived at the Italian Grand Prix after receiving a special invitation from his longtime rival Francesco Bernoulli.Cars 2 fans will remember Francesco as the confident Italian Formula racer who competed against Lightning in the World Grand Prix.
Now, 15 years after the movie brought the two racers together, Lightning is heading to Francesco’s home country for an actual Formula 1 weekend. Monza is an especially appropriate destination.
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is one of Formula 1’s most historic circuits and has hosted the Italian Grand Prix throughout nearly the entirety of the Formula 1 World Championship’s history. For the 2026 weekend, Lightning will sport an all-new appearance inspired by Disney’s Formula 1 partnership.
Disney hasn’t positioned Lightning as an actual competitor in the Grand Prix, of course. His role is officially described as the weekend’s support vehicle. But he won’t be the only piece of Cars making its way onto the circuit.
Disney has confirmed that the Mercedes-AMG Official FIA Safety Car will receive a special Cars-inspired makeover exclusively for the Monza race weekend. That’s a fun crossover considering how easily the world of Cars lends itself to real motorsport.
The Safety Car is used during a Formula 1 race when conditions require the competing cars to slow down and follow it around the circuit, such as after certain incidents or during unsafe track conditions. For this weekend only, that very real piece of Formula 1 machinery will carry a little Pixar influence.
Fans at Monza will also find Cars-inspired experiences throughout the fan zone, including a Mattel activation designed to bring a piece of Radiator Springs to the event.
And with Cars celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Disney is going back to where it all began. For 2026, Disney has expanded the partnership across the Formula 1 calendar.
Mickey & Friends have appeared in Formula 1-inspired outfits, Disney has released race-specific merchandise collections, and activations have reached race weekends including Shanghai, Miami, Montréal, and Silverstone.
But with Disney and Formula 1’s partnership now extended through 2028 (and Cars officially part of it) we wouldn’t be surprised to see much more of Lightning McQueen around the Formula 1 world over the next two seasons. Disney just hasn’t announced where he’ll race off to next.
Keep checking back with Theme Park Scope for the latest Disney, Pixar, Cars, and Formula 1 news as the “Fuel the Magic” collaboration continues.
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