Getty
Sebastian Vettel revealed his heartache at not being able to ask idol Michael Schumacher for advice
Formula One Driver, Sebastian Vettel, admitted he misses his childhood hero Schumacher terribly since the F1 legend fell into a coma following a tragic ski accident in 2013.
Vettel, 30, from Heppenheim, Germany, said that one of his deepest regrets was not being able to seek advice from the ace about Ferrari before he drove for the team.
Vettel, the World Cup leader, said he regretted that he had never talked about the Maranello team with the F1 legend.
He told German publication Focus: “He would have been one of the people I would have asked in 2014 and also the one I would ask for advice now.”
Vettel was a four-time world champion in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 with Red Bull racing.
He is widely considered one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time as he is one of only four to be victorious on more than three occasions.
He admits that his childhood heroes were “The three Michaels” – Michael Schumacher, Michael Jordan, and Michael Jackson.
Just a week ago, Vettel extended his contract by three years, with Ferrari till 2020.
But he added that it weighed heavily on his mind that, just before Schumacher’s ski accident, in 2013, the two Germans had never talked about driving for Scuderia Ferrari.
Getty
Vettel said that Michael Schumacher was one of his childhood heroes
Vettel said: “I do not know what Michael’s trust was based on. I never talked to him about that, unfortunately I did not have the chance.”
Vettel performed alongside his hero for their native Germany in the Race of Champions on five different occasions between 2007 and 2011.
Schumacher’s family have been leaning on each other for support as the star remains out of the public eye.
Last month, Schumacher’s wife, Corinna and son, Mick, 18, put on a brave face as they were spotted in public for the first time in months.
F1 legend Michael, a seven times world champion, was put in a medically induced coma after a fall in the French Alps in December 2013.
Getty
Schumacher’s wife, Corinna and son, Mick, 18, put on a brave face as they were spotted in public
He was skiing with his son Mick, when he hit his head on rocks.
And, despite wearing a helmet, the German star fell into a coma for six months after the accident and doctors said he had suffered blood clots on the brain.
Physicians said the F1 legend would almost certainly have died if he was not wearing head protection.
Doctors described his condition as “extremely serious” after his admission to Grenoble Hospital where he underwent two life-saving operations.
In April 2014 Schumacher – who drove for Benetton, Jordan, Mercedes and Ferrari – was withdrawn from the coma and moved to a rehabilitation ward in Lausanne, Switzerland before being brought home to Germany in September of the same year.
The Schumacher family have guarded their privacy fiercely since the accident – and have provided few updates to his army of adoring fans who want to know how he is doing.
No updates were given until April 2015, when it was announced that Schumacher had shown “moments of consciousness and awakening”.
Three months later a statement was released confirming that the F1 champion was no longer in a coma and had left Grenoble Hospital.
The F1 legend has reportedly got a 15-man medical team giving him around the clock care at his house in Geneva, Switzerland.
In December, a statement from his manager and lawyer, Sabine Kehm, said: “Michael’s health is not a public issue, and so we will continue to make no comment in that regard.
“We have to protect his intimate sphere. Legally seen and in the longer term, every statement related to his health would diminish the extent of his intimate sphere.”
Vettel is determined to follow in his idol’s footsteps.
He said before the race at Monza, Italy, on Sunday: “My mission is not over yet. I imagine that one of my most beautiful days will be when I win the title in red.”