FORMULA ONE fans have been left emotional after Sebastian Vettel shared a throwback picture with Michael Schumacher.
The four-times world champion retired from the sport at the end of last season after a sensational racing career spanning almost 15 years.
GettyVettel said goodbye to F1 at the end of last season[/caption]
He long admired fellow German and F1 legend Schumacher, who won seven titles across the 90s and 2000s.
Schumacher was involved in a ski accident in 2013 and has not been seen in public since.
But Vettel shared an old picture of the ex-Ferrari driver which touched many F1 fans.
The Instagram snap showed Schumacher knelt over a young Vettel, sat in a small silver go-kart.
Wearing a red cap, Schumacher looks over Vettel while holding a flag in his right hand.
A small audience of people are visible in the background for the competitive karting race in Germany.
Vettel captioned the photo: “Receiving last Orders (NRW Cup Final, Kerpen, Germany).”
Fans were loving the heartfelt photo.
One wrote: “This right here. This is cute.”
Another said: “Seb, I don’t want to cry but now you are making me.”
A third said: “Who’s cutting onions man?”
Schumacher won the world championship in 1994 and 1995 with Benetton and then every year from 2000 to 2004 at Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson would all win F1’s greatest prize before Vettel began his own reign of dominance between 2010 and 2013 for Red Bull.
In recent years Vettel has taken up a mentoring role for Michael’s son Mick, who is now a reserve driver with Mercedes after two years racing with Haas.
Mick posted his own emotional message to his father earlier this month on Michael’s birthday.