The Race of Champions honored Michael Schumacher with a touching gesture – Sebastian Vettel, Mick Schumacher and all participants remember the F1 legend
On March 7 and 8, the Race of Champions took place at the Accor Stadium in Sydney. Amid the high-profile duels, the event sent a special message: a large banner reading “Keep Fighting Michael – We Miss You” was presented to the cheering crowd. All 20 drivers gathered around the poster.
Among them: Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, who held the banner together. It was an especially emotional moment for Mick, who has been commemorating his father for years through the “Keep Fighting” movement. Vettel and Mick once again formed the German “super team” in the ROC Nations Cup, although they did not win any medals this time. (Detailed race report Race of Champions 2025)
Since his serious skiing accident in 2013, in which he suffered brain injuries, Michael Schumacher has been living a sheltered life with his family, away from the public eye. It is largely unknown how he is doing today. But the support of his fans and the motorsport community remains unwavering, as the touching gesture in Sydney shows.
Race of Champions: Motorsport without borders
The Race of Champions brings together the best drivers from different disciplines every year. Whether it’s Formula 1, rallying or touring cars, the direct duel in identical cars shows who the true “champion of champions” is.
Sebastian Vettel has already won this title in 2015 and was successful six times with Michael Schumacher in the Nations Cup (plus another time with Pascal Wehrlein). He has also had success with Mick in the RoC: in 2019, the duo took second place in the Nations Cup. This time, they made it to the semi-finals in the Nations Cup as a team, but both were stopped in their tracks in the quarter-finals of the individual competition.
Keep Fighting Foundation: Schumacher’s social commitment continues
In 2017, the Schumacher family set up the Keep Fighting Foundation. It continues the record world champion’s social commitment and supports projects in the fields of education, health and science. The name of the foundation comes from the hashtag KeepFighting, which fans used to show their support after Schumacher’s accident.
The gesture also provoked emotional reactions in social media. One fan commented on the official Formula One Reddit:
“It must be an incredibly difficult moment for Mick. You stand there, holding the banner for your father, while knowing the whole truth. The prognoses, the treatments, the statistics. And yet you hold up a symbol of hope, of solidarity. Something that perhaps feels too simplistic for the complex feelings you carry within you.”
Vettel on reuniting with Mick
Ahead of the event, Sebastian Vettel spoke about returning to the Race of Champions and working with Mick Schumacher again: “I’m very happy to be back at the Race of Champions and teaming up with Mick again. The former Olympic site in Sydney seems to be a great location for this event.”
“All the drivers who get to compete in the ROC love this event. It reminds us why we got into racing: pure competition, no excuses, because everyone is in the same car.”
This is not the first time the banner has been displayed. The poster has been presented at several editions of the Race of Champions and every time it gives the fans goosebumps.
