Watch: Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher share emotional tribute for Michael Schumacher at the Race of Champions

Former F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel shared an emotional tribute to his hero Michael Schumacher along with the latter's son Mick Schumacher at the Race of Champions in Australia. The iconic event is held annually across the Globe and features drivers from different domains in motorsport competing and individual and team categories.

The 2025 edition will held in the Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park from March 7 to 8 and features drivers like Vettel, Schumacher, and Coulthard amongst many competing for the top honor.

On the first day of the event ahead of the Nations Cup, Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher along with other drivers paid an emotional tribute to former seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.

In a video uploaded by Race of Champions, the former Red Bull driver led the tribute by holding a "Keep Fighting Michael" banner on the bridge of the track.

The veteran German driver had competed in the Race of Champions and won six consecutive Nation Cups until 2012, his final participation in Bangkok. The former Mercedes driver suffered major injuries which required brain surgery after a skiing accident in December 2013.

The accident put him in a medically induced coma for years with minimal updates regarding his current situation.

Former F1 driver shares a funny anecdote about Michael Schumacher

Former McLaren driver David Coulthard recalled that Michael Schumacher loved to pull pranks on him during Race of Champions parties after winning the Nations Cup on several occasions.

On his Formula for Success podcast, the Scot, who was a long-term rival of the German driver in the late 90s and early 2000s, reflected:

“It’s fair to say, over some of the years, we’ve had some great parties. “I remember Michael had this thing where he would put his hands in the back of your jean pockets and pull the pockets, and you would, in a flash, suddenly look like you’re wearing a pair of chaps because he would just rip the ass completely out of your jeans!"

ROC founder and President Fredrik Johnsson too chimed in on the fun stories involving Michael Schumacher and added:

“I think Michael started that tradition in Beijing after they won the ROC Nations Cup in 2009, and I think Michael and Sebastian Vettel, they won the ROC Nations Cup six times for Germany, but they never quite got there in the individual Race of Champions. I think that the way they celebrated their Nations Cup wins was a big reason why they didn’t quite make it the next day!”

The former Ferrari driver initially competed in the 2004 edition of Race of Champions but returned to the competition on a more regular basis from 2007 till 2012. He won the Nations Cup alongside Sebastian Vettel each year but failed to win in the individual category.