Sebastian Vettel to make Ferrari F1 return in Michael Schumacher Monza celebration
The four-time champion will return to the Formula 1 track this weekend in Ferrari colours.
Sebastian Vettel is set to return to the track this weekend as Ferrari celebrates Michael Schumacher's legacy at the Italian Grand Prix.
Four-time champion Vettel has taken to the track in historic machinery on a number of occasions since retiring from Formula 1, most notably driving Nigel Mansell's 1992 Williams at Silverstone and Ayrton Senna's 1993 McLaren at the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
He will add to this experience on Sunday ahead of the 53-lap Monza race, when he gets behind the wheel of seven-time champion Schumacher's dominant Ferrari F2002.
Across that season, the legendary German finished outside the top two just once, a third-place result in Malaysia, and scored 11 wins from 17 races. Of the races not won by Schumacher, four were scored by team-mate Rubens Barrichello, with Williams and McLaren each achieving success once.
Schumacher's lasting impact on F1 is being honoured at Monza this weekend, with Ferrari revealing special race suits late last week, and a special livery based on the 1996 Ferrari that 91-time grands prix winner took to victory on Ferrari's home soil.
Vettel, who has always held Schumacher up as his idol, will complete a single lap in the 900bhp Ferrari V10, which is capable of screaming to 19,000rpm.
On his previous demonstration laps, Vettel has used sustainable fuels, and this will be no different. The demonstration will be run via Ferrari's F1 Clienti department, and the manufacturer has confirmed the F2002 will use an “advanced sustainable fuel developed specifically by Shell, drawing on the know-how acquired this season to create the fuel being used in 2026.”
Fans only attending on Saturday will also get a chance to hear the now 24-year-old car scream through the park, with Barrichello getting reacquainted with the F2002 ahead of qualifying.
As well as the 2002 car, Schumacher's first and last Ferrari F1 cars will be on display - these are the 1996 F310 and the 2006 248.
Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.
