WATCH: Vettel lights up Monza with donuts in Schumacher's iconic F2002

The 1996 season also featured the first of Schumacher’s five victories at Monza, which came in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. Vettel, like Rubens Barrichello, therefore had the honour of driving one of the most successful cars in the history of Ferrari and Formula 1.

Ferrari has turned its entire Italian Grand Prix weekend into a celebration of Schumacher At the heart of the tribute is the SF-26's special Monza livery, designed as a direct homage to the F310 Schumacher drove during his first Ferrari campaign. The car retains Ferrari's traditional red base but introduces distinctive white elements inspired by the 1996 design, while seven stars have been incorporated into the tribute to represent Schumacher's seven World Championships.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton's race suits have also been redesigned for the occasion, further extending the 1996 theme across the team's appearance.

The German also took the opportunity to salute the fans in the grandstands before entertaining the Monza crowd with a series of donuts, reminiscent of the celebrations he regularly performed during his Red Bull days.

Speaking to GPblog and other media at Monza, Vettel reflected on the deep personal significance of driving Schumacher's championship-winning F2002. The four-time World Champion described Schumacher as his childhood hero before recalling how their relationship later developed into a close friendship, leaving him with many special memories of the seven-time World Champion.

For Vettel, the occasion represented far more than simply completing a few laps around Monza. Driving Schumacher's 2002 title-winning Ferrari in front of the Tifosi made the moment particularly meaningful, especially given his enduring love for motorsport. Although Vettel no longer races, he admitted that his passion for racing remains as strong as ever, making occasions such as the Schumacher tribute particularly special to him.