Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel was overcome with emotion after treating the Italian fans at Monza to a demo run in his friend Michael Schumacher's 2002 Ferrari.
Vettel completed a handful of laps in the F2002 as part of the pre-race activities at Monza, on a weekend where Ferrari celebrated the 30th anniversary of Schumacher's debut with the team in 1996.
The sleek F2002 was a product of Maranello at the peak of its powers in the Jean Todt and Ross Brawn era, propelling Schumacher to 11 wins and team-mate Rubens Barrichello to five victories as the team won all but two races.
Schumacher never finished off the podium that year, clinching his third consecutive title with Ferrari and his fifth overall by the end of July, after the 11th grand prix of the season in France.
But more than the history of the car itself, what shook Schumacher's friend and protege Vettel to his core was the legacy of the seven-time world champion, who has not been seen in public since a ski accident in December 2013.
"I'm caught and mixed up in feelings," Vettel said after the demonstration as he was on the verge of tears. "On the one hand it's such a beautiful car to drive. It's such a beautiful piece of machinery. But much more, it's Michael's car. He's not here today but I felt him a lot in these laps, and I hope you heard him and felt him as well."
The four-time world champion, a Ferrari driver himself between 2015 and 2020 as he tried to emulate Schumacher's glory years, said he was in two minds between letting the unique moment last as long as possible and stepping on the powerful V10 engine's tail.
"It's so exciting," Vettel described, visibly shaking with glee. "It doesn't take many laps to sense the soul of a car, and you sense immediately that it was a special car and it's just screaming at you like 'Go, go, go,'.
"I was all the time torn between I want to push this car and I would enjoy the moment and make it last but no, it's been absolutely beautiful and to feel how alive Michael's spirit is and how alive Ferrari's spirit is around here. I experienced it myself years ago."
He added: "There's bits that I miss but it's a different life and looking after the next generation of drivers as I said, there's great opportunities ahead. So, it's a very emotional day. My heart is beating and I'm very, very proud and I miss Michael."
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Watch Sebastian Vettel's demo run in Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F2002 at Monza
Extra special ❤️
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 6, 2026
Watch Seb complete a full lap of Monza in Michael Schumacher's legendary F2002 car #F1 #ItalianGP @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/n1TWBhgYdM
