Sebastian Vettel has recalled his "positive" final conversation with Michael Schumacher before the seven-time F1 world champion's tragic skiing accident.
It's been 10 years to the day since the motorsport legend's crash with little information given out on his current health condition.
The anniversary has led to people reliving fond memories they had with Schumacher.
Vettel came into F1 the year after Schumacher's first retirement from the sport and soon took over as the next German prodigy.
Michael Schumacher retired from F1 at the end of 2012
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They then raced for three years against one another when Schumacher returned to F1 in 2010 with Mercedes.
During that time, Vettel and Schumacher struck up a close bond around the track.
Schumacher's near-fatal skiing accident happened just over a year after he retired from F1 and weeks after Vettel had won his fourth world title.
The 36-year-old has found it "very, very difficult to accept that he continues to fight and that he is not doing well."
And speaking to German media about Schumacher ahead of the 10th anniversary of the crash, Vettel recalled his last conversation with the German icon.
"The first thoughts were immediately of the last conversation we had together," Vettel said.
"It couldn't be more positive.
"I told him that I was going to be a father and what was coming for us."
Vettel's first child, Emilie, was born in January 2014 and he's had two more kids since then.
Schumacher was Vettel's childhood hero, and the latter was taken aback by how welcoming and helpful the man he looked up to was when they met as F1 rivals.
"I really appreciated it, especially towards the end, when our relationship became stronger before the accident, because racing was no longer the biggest issue for both of us, but life in general around racing. My friend in that I just lack sense," Vettel added.
Sebastian Vettel was close to Michael Schumacher
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"I think he would have been extremely important in the last few years.
"I would have had so many questions and he would certainly have provided so many answers and inspiration. That's what's missing."
Vettel has also built a close friendship with Schumacher's son, Mick, and took him under his wing when he entered F1.
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Sebastian Vettel has not spoken to Michael Schumacher since
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And the former Red Bull driver feels for the family and how they've handled the whole ordeal.
“It’s even harder for the family,” he added.
"Mick was still a teenager at the time.
"It's a completely different dimension when your father has an accident and breaks away in this respect."
