Vettel and Barrichello to drive Schumacher’s F2002 in Monza tribute
Former Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello will return to the cockpit this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix to perform emotional laps of honour in Michael Schumacher’s championship-winning F2002.
The highly anticipated track sessions form the centrepiece of a wider celebration marking 30 years since Schumacher first raced for the legendary Italian marque in 1996. Ferrari is pulling out all the stops at its home race to honour the seven-time world champion’s legacy, blending nostalgia with its current title campaign.
Barrichello will kick off the driving tributes on Saturday. The Brazilian, who partnered with Schumacher during the team’s most dominant era, will pilot the very chassis that carried him to victory at the 2002 Italian Grand Prix.
The F2002 remains one of the most successful designs in motorsport history, claiming 15 victories from 17 races that season. Taking the car around the high-speed Autodromo Nazionale Monza will undoubtedly evoke memories of the sweeping success the duo shared during the early 2000s.
Generational tribute on race day
The event continues on Sunday just before the grand prix gets under way, when Vettel takes his turn behind the wheel. The four-time world champion grew up idolising his compatriot and eventually followed in his footsteps by driving for Ferrari between 2015 and 2020.
Vettel and Schumacher shared a close bond off the track, making Sunday’s commemorative lap an especially poignant moment for the German driver and the tens of thousands of tifosi packing the grandstands.
Beyond the laps of honour, Ferrari is displaying three pivotal cars from Schumacher’s career throughout the weekend. Fans can view the F310 from his debut 1996 campaign, his final 248 F1 from 2006 and the all-conquering F2002.
The team has also redesigned its current machinery to incorporate Schumacher’s distinctive logo and the seven stars that famously decorated his crash helmet. Current drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will wear special race suits for the occasion, continuing Ferrari’s recent tradition of adopting unique liveries for the Monza event.
The team arrives at its home circuit trailing Mercedes by 87 points in the constructors’ championship but hopes the weekend’s historic atmosphere provides a much-needed boost.
