Ferrari and Monza honour Michael Schumacher with tribute livery and emotional words from his brother

A special tribute at Monza

This weekend's Italian Grand Prix sees Ferrari dedicate its home race to legendary driver Michael Schumacher. The team is marking two anniversaries: 30 years since the German's debut with Ferrari in 1996, and 20 years since 2006, when he won at Monza and then announced his first retirement from Formula 1 right at the circuit.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will race cars carrying a livery inspired by the Ferrari F310, the car Schumacher drove in his debut season with the team. The design is mostly red with white and black details, while the wheels have been given a gold tint to echo the magnesium rims used 30 years ago. Seven stars feature on the nose of the cars and on the drivers' race suits, representing Schumacher's seven world titles, alongside his personal logo. According to AOL, the suits also carry white stripes styled after the design once used on Schumacher's helmet.

The Independent reports that on Sunday, Sebastian Vettel is set to drive a "celebratory lap" in the car Schumacher used to win his 2002 title.

Records set at Monza

Formula1.com notes that Schumacher won at Monza five times — in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 — and took 72 wins in total for Ferrari. Five of his seven world titles came consecutively with the Scuderia; the other two were won earlier with Benetton. His 2006 Monza victory was his last at the track and also the moment, shortly after the podium ceremony, when he announced he was stepping away from racing. He later returned between 2010 and 2012 with Mercedes.

Brother's tribute and health update

According to The Independent, Schumacher's younger brother Ralf, himself a former F1 driver now working as a pundit, said he never had any idol other than his brother: "I was always asked who my idol was, and I never had one except my brother." Ralf added that Michael always performed better under pressure and pointed to the intense emotional weight every Ferrari driver carries because of Italian fans' expectations.

Michael Schumacher has not appeared in public since suffering a severe head injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013, after which he fell into a coma. His wife Corinna has since tightly guarded the family's privacy. As reported by AOL, Elisabetta Gregoraci, former partner of ex-F1 boss Flavio Briatore, said Schumacher communicates with those around him using only his eyes and that just three people are permitted to visit him. Unconfirmed rumours suggest the family may be living in Spain, possibly Majorca, though Corinna has not confirmed this, saying only: "We live together at home... We do everything we can to make Michael better and more comfortable." In January 2025, the Daily Mail reported that after years of physiotherapy, Schumacher is able to sit up but still cannot walk.