Vettel reflects on Schumacher's legacy ahead of 10th anniversary of accident

Sebastian Vettel has reflected on Michael Schumacher's lasting legacy in the world of sports and Formula 1, as the 10th anniversary of his skiing accident approaches.

On December 29th, 2013, Schumacher fell and hit his head whilst skiing in France, sustaining major brain trauma and was placed into a coma.

He was brought out of it in the summer of 2014 and returned home to Lake Geneva for further treatment in the care of specialist doctors.

However, he has not been seen in public since with his family fiercely protective and updates on the seven-time World Champion's condition scarce.

Vettel was regarded by some as 'Baby Schumacher', becoming the second German to win the title in 2010, going onto win four in total, and raced against Schumacher in his Mercedes comeback years of 2010-2012.

The former Red Bull driver feels that Schumacher's legacy today has dwindled compared to his generation, but feels this is only a natural part of sports.

"In sport, things keep moving on, they even move on very quickly," Vettel explained to the German Press Agency.

"That's a good thing because time runs forward and not backwards, time shouldn't stand still.

"Someone like Michael will always be a household name because his successes and his statistics will forever be visible in black and white, but the peculiarities of characters also remain.

"That Michael had this special bond with Ferrari, that he achieved the miracle of the World Championships, put together a team there and stuck together for such a long time.

"Even if it's hard to imagine, a Michael Schumacher or a [NBA icon] Michael Jordan are perceived differently over time.

"They will never disappear from the history books or among the absolute [diehard fans] but for many children today a Michael Schumacher is less of a household name than for me back then.

"He was a hero of my generation. In the future, perhaps Lionel Messi will be less of a household name than perhaps an Erling Haaland.

"But that's a good thing, because every era writes its own stories, every era has its own heroines and heroes."