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Drivers Hold Emotional Schumacher Tribute at Race of Champions

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chase Campbell | Last updated Mar 9, 2025 11:40 AM ET

Ahead of the start of the 2025 Formula One season, Michael Schumacher was honored with an emotional tribute from his son, Mick Schumacher and F1 legend Sebastian Vettel.

At the Race of Champions event in Sydney, Australia, Vettel and the younger Schumacher held up a banner that read “Keep Fighting Michael — We Miss You."

The rest of the drivers taking part in the annual event also held up the banner promoting the Schumacher family’s Keep Fighting Foundation, which was established in 2017. The foundation makes charitable donations that promote health and safety, especially regarding headgear.

Vettel is a close personal friend of the Schumacher family, forming the German team with his godson Mick at the Race of Champions, an annual event featuring the biggest names from several motorsport disciplines. Team France took the win in 2025, with World Rally Championship legend Sébastien Loeb winning the Driver’s Championship.

Michael has been out of the public eye for over a decade, after a 2013 skiing accident led to the seven-time F1 champion to be placed in a medically-induced coma.

Schumacher is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, long holding the record for total Grand Prix wins that was broken by Lewis Hamilton in 2020. His storied career and its effect on motorsport has made the Schumacher name a household one in racing.

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His privacy is now guarded by his wife, Corinna, and his immediate family. He reportedly attended his daughter’s wedding in 2024, his only reported public appearance since the devastating skiing accident in the French Alps.

Neither Vettel or Mick Schumacher have a Formula 1 seat for the upcoming season, with the former retired and the latter having last driven for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. The 2025 season will kick off at the Australian Grand Prix next weekend.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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