High-profile visit for Red Bull in Monza! Former world champions Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen were spotted Sunday in Max Verstappen’s garage. Both are rarely seen in the F1 paddock these days, but they were present during the Italian GP. Vettel also took action for the Italian crowd. Thirty years after Michael Schumacher’s first Ferrari season, he got behind the wheel of the iconic F2002 in honor of his compatriot.
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For Vettel, a visit to the Red Bull garage meant a reunion with many old colleagues. The celebrated German raced for the Austrian team for six seasons between 2009 and 2014 and delivered four consecutive world titles to the team. In Monza, he met several Red Bull engineers and left a message on Max Verstappen’s helmet. “Here’s to a great race,” he wrote on the Dutchman’s visor. Vettel retired from Formula 1 after 2022 but is still considered an important confidant of Verstappen.
Not long after, Kimi Räikkönen also made his way to the Red Bull garage. “The Iceman has arrived,” the team wrote on social media. The Finn had a chat with team principal Laurent Mekies. Räikkönen hung up his racing suit after 2021. In 2007, he won his only world title, representing Ferrari. After Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, he has the most Grand Prix starts to his name.
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The Ice Man has entered the garage 🥶🇫🇮#F1 || #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/CJNPwf5Mf0
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— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) September 6, 2026
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