MICHAEL Schumacher fans have been left in tears as his son Mick shared a touching tribute to his sick dad while wearing his helmet in his car.
Mick Schumacher took to Instagram to share a series of touching photos after he drove the Formula 1 legend’s Mercedes at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed.
The images were also posted by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team – who seven-time champion Michael raced for between 2010 and 2012 during his three-year comeback to F1.
The Goodwood Festival Of Speed which took place on July 13 and ended on July 16 saw Mick racing the silver and green sportscar in front of an adoring crowd.
Photos captured from the event show Mick sporting his dad’s helmet and overalls from 12 years ago – leaving fans teary-eyed and filled with nostalgia.
In one image the 24-year-old can be seen posing up next to the Mercedes W02 while wearing a white racing suit, as he holds the iconic red Petronas helmet under his arm.
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Another photo shows an incredible headshot of Mick as he sits behind the wheel of his dad’s old car and stares into the camera with concentration and focus.
In one more snap, Mick looks down towards the cherry-red helmet and smiles while sporting the classic black Petronas overall.
The series of tribute images racked up over 600,000 likes from Schumacher fans across the world and the touching comments came pouring in.
One wrote: “Some of us grew up watching Michael racing (we all miss him a lot ) …. But watching this kid wearing that helmet and driving that car is absolutely magical … Mick should have a place on the grid not only as a reserve driver”.
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Another said: “Why I got sad? Why my brain show me flashbacks? Hope you will have a great career like him brother”.
A third added: “I’m so hopeful that your recent absence from races is because you’ve found the ride you deserve on the grid, so happy you got to drive your dad’s car! hope you enjoyed yourself”.
Ahead of the racing festival, Mick said: “It’s going to be spectacular to run in my dad’s 2011 car, the W02, even if it is only a short run. Just experiencing this generation of cars will be mega.
“Knowing that he raced this car makes it extra special, and there will be many emotions coming with it.
He added: “I have been lucky enough to drive one of his Benetton cars and some of the Ferraris he raced. But this will be the first time behind the wheel of a Mercedes he drove. I am sure I will get out of it with a big smile on my face.”
Michael is still regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time but remains out of the public eye after he was involved in a devastating ski crash accident in 2013 while on the slopes above Méribel in the French Alps.
He fell and hit his head on a rock while crossing an off-piste area – suffering a serious head injury despite wearing a ski helmet.
Doctors said he would most likely have died had he not been wearing the safety gear, and the world champ was airlifted to Grenoble Hospital.
He was put into a medically induced coma after suffering what was described as a “traumatic brain injury”.
The former Ferrari and Mercedes driver was brought out of the coma in June 2014 and was released to undergo rehabilitation at his home in Gland, Switzerland.
The 53-year-old now lives a private life with his family, now in Majorca, with the tragic ski accident coming just over a year after he retired from F1 in 2012.
In May, an ex-teammate of Michael – Johnny Herbert – said that his son must be going through hell over his dad’s condition.
The three-time F1 race winner described the struggle that Mick has faced not having his dad alongside him in the paddock.
But he hailed the young driver for handling the terrible situation “brilliantly”.
And he questioned whether the 24-year-old may have suffered under the pressure of his dad’s legacy.
Although details about Michael’s recovery remain private, his wife Corinna spoke about him in a Netflix documentary examining his illustrious career.
She said: “I just felt that he is somebody special.
“I think that he is simply very strong mentally. Extremely strong. He still shows me how strong he is every day.”
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The doting wife added: “I miss Michael every day. But it’s not just me who misses him. It’s the children, the family, his father, everyone around him.
“Everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here – different, but here.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
