F1 legend Vettel opens up on 'special' Schumacher's legacy

Schumacher France podium 2002 — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Legends

F1 legend Vettel opens up on 'special' Schumacher's legacy

It's almost 10 years since the German's skiing accident

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 24 December 2023 13:57

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Sebastian Vettel has spoken of the impact that seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher had on his Formula 1 career.

Four-time world champion Vettel has recently been overtaken by Max Verstappen in the all-time list of race victories, dropping down to fourth.

Schumacher is second on that particular list with 91 victories and retired for a second and final time back in 2012, having won seven world championships.

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Almost 10 years ago to the day, however, his whole life changed after a skiing accident in the French Alps that left him with life-changing injuries and in a medically-induced coma.

Although coming out of hospital in September 2014 and beginning his recovery at home, little update has been provided on his health since then, with his family protecting him from media attention.

Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel spent a few years alongside one another on the F1 grid

Sebastian Vettel has since become good friends with Michael Schumacher's son, Mick Schumacher

Michael Schumacher claimed seven world championships across his career, including five with Ferrari

F1 moving forward

Vettel has now been speaking about Schumacher's impact on the F1 world, and how it'll never be underestimated by him.

"In sport things go on and on, they even go on very quickly," he told the German Press Agency.

"That's a good thing because time runs forward and not backwards, time shouldn't stand still. Someone like Michael will always be a household name because his successes and his statistics will forever be visible in black and white. But the peculiarities of characters also remain.

"This one lap time, this one pole position, this one victory, that's often not it at all. It may sound banal, but it's the journey there that can be so special."