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Sebastian Vettel to drive Michael Schumacher’s iconic F2002 at Monza Four-time World Champion Vettel will pay tribute to his childhood hero by driving Schumacher’s legendary Ferrari F2002 ahead of the Italian Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel will drive one of the most iconic Formula 1 cars in history at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, taking Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2002 around Monza in a special demonstration run ahead of Sunday’s race. The appearance will form part of Ferrari’s tribute to Schumacher, marking 30 years since the German driver joined the Maranello-based team. It will also take place almost exactly 24 years after Schumacher claimed his first Italian Grand Prix victory with Ferrari, making the demonstration particularly significant at a circuit where the seven-time World Champion enjoyed some of the defining moments of his career. Vettel to drive Schumacher’s championship-winning FerrariThe car Vettel will drive is the Ferrari F2002, one of the most successful machines ever produced by the Scuderia. Designed under the technical leadership of Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne, the F2002 dominated the 2002 Formula 1 season and carried Schumacher to his fifth World Championship. Schumacher secured the 2002 drivers' title with six races still remaining, while Ferrari comfortably claimed the constructors' championship. The F2002 was exceptionally dominant, winning 14 of the 15 Grands Prix in which it competed across the 2002 and 2003 seasons. One of those victories came at Monza in 2002, although Schumacher did not take the chequered flag that day. Rubens Barrichello won the Italian Grand Prix from pole position, with Schumacher finishing second to complete a Ferrari one-two in front of the passionate Tifosi. Both Barrichello and Vettel will therefore have the opportunity to drive the historic car at Monza this weekend. Barrichello is scheduled to demonstrate the F2002 on Saturday, before Vettel takes over the car for another run on Sunday ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. A special connection between Vettel and SchumacherThe choice of Vettel for the demonstration carries additional significance.nSchumacher was one of Vettel's childhood heroes, and the two Germans developed a close relationship later in their careers. When Vettel established himself as one of Formula 1's leading drivers, Schumacher was making his return to the sport with Mercedes, and the pair were frequently seen together away from the race track. Vettel also followed a path similar to Schumacher's when he joined Ferrari in 2015 as the reigning World Champion. Although Vettel was unable to replicate Schumacher's extraordinary championship success at Maranello, his admiration for the seven-time champion has remained clear throughout his career. The opportunity to drive Schumacher's F2002 at Monza therefore represents a particularly personal tribute. Sustainable fuel for a piece of F1 historyThe F2002 will not simply be displayed at Monza. Ferrari will run the historic car using advanced sustainable fuel developed specifically by Shell. The fuel draws on technology and know-how developed for the fuel used in the current 2026 Formula 1 regulations, allowing the historic Ferrari to be demonstrated while aligning with modern sustainability requirements. Sustainable fuel has also featured in Vettel's previous demonstration runs since his retirement from Formula 1. The four-time World Champion has previously driven the Williams FW14B from 1992 and McLaren MP4/8 from 1993 during special demonstration events, both using sustainable fuels. Ferrari celebrates a defining eraThe F2002 demonstration is part of Ferrari's wider tribute to Schumacher at its home race. Ferrari's current SF-26 will feature a special livery inspired by the F310, the car Schumacher drove during his first season with the Scuderia in 1996. Schumacher's arrival at Ferrari ultimately began one of the most successful partnerships in Formula 1 history. After joining the team in 1996, he helped transform Ferrari into the dominant force of the early 2000s, winning five consecutive drivers' championships between 2000 and 2004. The F2002 represents the peak of that transformation. It was a car that combined Ferrari's V10 power unit with an exceptionally sophisticated aerodynamic and mechanical package, delivering a level of performance that made it one of the benchmarks of the era. Now, more than two decades after it dominated Formula 1, the F2002 will return to the Monza circuit. For Vettel, however, the demonstration will be about more than simply driving a legendary Ferrari. It will offer the four-time World Champion an opportunity to honour the driver he looked up to as a young racer, in front of the Ferrari fans and at one of the circuits most closely associated with Schumacher's extraordinary career. Vettel will take to Monza on Sunday morning, giving the Tifosi a chance to see the legendary F2002 back on track before the 2026 Italian Grand Prix gets underway.