Fans of Michael Schumacher have been left "crying" over a nostalgic picture of the Formula 1 legend posted on social media by Sebastian Vettel.
Vettel, who retired from the sport last year, took to Instagram to share an image of him in his youth, before the start of a kart race, with his idol Schumacher giving him some words of advice.
“Receiving last Orders (NRW Cup Final, Kerpen, Germany),” wrote Vettel. Kerpen is the track where Schumacher caught the racing bug.
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Schumacher went on to dominate the pinnacle of motorsport, wining seven world championships. He began his F1 career with Irish team Jordan and went on to drive for Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes across two spells in the sport.
But just a year after retiring for a second time, he was involved in a horror skiing accident in December 2013. His current condition has been a closely guarded secret, with his family fiercely protective of his privacy.
Schumacher was a mentor to Vettel, who made his F1 race debut in 2007 with BMW Sauber before going on to win five world titles of his own with Red Bull at the start of the 2010s.
Vettel's social media post triggered a warm response from fans, Daily Star reports.
One said: “A second father to Seb! We miss you, Mr. Schumacher.”
A second wrote: “2 legends at a track where legends where born.”
“We need more of Vettel and a Schumacher content,” pleaded another.
Some fans were even left emotional. “Will cry until weekend,” said one. Another added: “I'm not crying...you are!”
Vettel's picture comes just days after Schumacher's son Mick changed his profile photo on both Twitter and Instagram to an image showing him as a young child with his arm wrapped around his dad.
Mick also published a string of poignant images of himself with his father, who turned 54 at the start of the month, describing him as "the best dad ever".
Vettel had become a mentor to Mick, who had a tough first two years in F1 before being dropped by Haas. He is now third driver at Mercedes, where his father spent his final three years in the sport before retiring for a second time.
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