Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello will drive a Ferrari Formula 1 car again in Monza during the Italian GP weekend. The two will participate in demonstration laps with the F2002, in a tribute to Michael Schumacher’s career.
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Barrichello will drive the car after the qualifying session on Saturday, while Vettel will take the wheel before the race on Sunday. The schedule is part of the celebrations prepared by Ferrari for the upcoming weekend, which also include a special paint inspired by Schumacher.
The F2002 has a direct connection to one of Ferrari’s most dominant periods. Barrichello competed in the 2002 season alongside Schumacher, and the German used the model to win his fifth world title, reaching the podium in every race that season.
The season was also marked by controversial moments involving team orders. At the Austrian GP, Barrichello was instructed to give up his position to Schumacher in the final straight, while later, in Indianapolis, Schumacher even tried to organize a side-by-side finish with his teammate.
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Vettel’s relationship with Schumacher also gives special meaning to the reunion. The four-time world champion considered Schumacher his idol in motorsport and even competed against the compatriot in Formula 1 between 2010 and 2012, a period when Schumacher raced for Mercedes, near the end of his career.
Although Vettel did not replicate Schumacher’s title success at Ferrari, his time with the team between 2015 and 2020 ended with 14 wins and 55 podiums. The F2002 is remembered as one of the most remarkable cars in the category, having taken Schumacher and Barrichello to all of Ferrari’s victories in the 2002 season, and continuing in use in the first half of 2003 in a B-spec version.
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