The Old or the New
Back in 2004, Michael Schumacher did what nobody had ever done before in the history of Formula 1- become a 7-time world champion. 16 years later, Lewis Hamilton equaled that record. Both of them are recognized as the most successful drivers of all time, which often brings us to the question: who is better?
Lewis Hamilton has now surpassed Michael Schumacher in terms of the number of race wins, pole positions, podium finishes and career points. Looking at the numbers and figures, one might argue that Hamilton is the greatest to have ever existed. However, in an ever-evolving sport like Formula 1, where one’s car and technology depend as much as their talent, the argument cannot solely be based on statistics.
Schumacher was the key to rebuilding Ferrari between 1996 and 2000. His efforts to bring in new members to the team or repeatedly testing the car and looking forward to improving it are legendary. Hamilton, on the other hand, joined Mercedes at a point where the building blocks for the team’s domination had already been put into place. However, he too put in tremendous effort to keep the team on the top for the next seven years. His understanding about the tyers, the car parts and his drive to understand issues and try different things has greatly been appreciated.
One way to find out who’s better is to compare the kind of rivalries both drivers had. Schumacher won titles in dominant cars against easier competition. He did have rivals such as Hill, Mika Hakkinen and Fernando Alonso, but a lot of people argue that had Ayrton Senna not met with the tragic Imola accident, he would have clearly dominated the era. Hamilton had to compete with much more challenging drivers. He missed out on his rookie championship against a two-time reigning world champion by just one point and went on to win it the next season. Moreover, he has also won a race in every season of his career, even when he had substandard cars.
Schumacher has also been reputed as a ruthless driver. He has been known to force a collision with Hill in the last race of the season just moments after the world championship appeared to be slipping from his fingers. He has also been known to purposely crash during qualification in Monaco to prevent other drivers from beating his lap time. Hamilton has always asked for a straight fight and has also taken the blame for his mistakes. He immediately took the responsibility of causing a collision with Alex Albon during the Brazilian Grand Prix, which led to Hamilton missing out on a podium. Such acts of sportsmanship and self-esteem only make his achievements more impressive.
It is still extremely hard to clearly contemplate who the greatest of all time is since both of them have existed and dominated during different eras in different environments. The kind of cars, driving style, circuits, regulations, everything keeps evolving in a sport like Formula 1. This debate is entirely subjective, and it is up to one to choose who their real GOAT is. However, what distinguishes Schumacher and Hamilton from the others is their undying drive and passion to improve, to be on the top and their mentality to succeed. It only makes sense if we truly appreciate both of them for their achievements.