Sebastian Vettel’s run in Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2002 reconnected Monza with one of Formula 1’s defining driver and team partnerships.
Sebastian Vettel drove Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2002 at Monza on Sunday, September 6, before the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. The tribute returned Formula 1’s most successful Ferrari partnership to the track.
A defining Ferrari runs again
The car in question was the F2002, the model associated with Schumacher’s fifth drivers’ championship. That gave Vettel’s run a precise historical link, pairing a four-time world champion with machinery raced by a seven-time champion.
“I felt him a lot today,” Vettel said.
The partnership carries the weight
Schumacher’s Ferrari record is strongest when the driver and team are assessed together. Formula 1’s official historical results list five consecutive drivers’ championships for Schumacher from 2000 through 2004, all with Ferrari.
That sustained run sets the partnership apart.
Schumacher won his first two championships with Benetton in 1994 and 1995. His Ferrari spell expanded the achievement by adding five titles and creating the part of his career most closely associated with one constructor.
Vettel provides the generational link
Vettel brought competitive credibility to the tribute. Formula 1’s historical results credit him with four consecutive Red Bull titles from 2010 through 2013, followed by six seasons as a Ferrari race driver from 2015 through 2020.
That record gives Vettel a rare place in the comparison. He experienced championship dominance with one team, then took on Ferrari’s title expectations in a later era with different cars, calendars and regulations.
Why the F2002 still resonates
The choice of car was crucial. Motorsport. com reported that Vettel drove the F2002, rather than a generic demonstration model, creating a direct connection to Schumacher’s 2002 championship season.
It also offers a clearer way to assess Formula 1 greatness. Career totals establish scale, while dominant partnerships show how a driver turned technical opportunity into repeated championships. Schumacher and Ferrari delivered five straight drivers’ crowns. Vettel and Red Bull delivered four.
Monza returns to the present
Vettel’s demonstration took place before the 2026 Italian Grand Prix on September 6, according to Motorsport. com. Monza is set for Round 13, with the next championship event scheduled in Spain from September 11 through 13.
