Michael Schumacher’s brother has launched an attack on Lewis Hamilton, claiming he hasn’t ever been able to spearhead a team like the German did.
Both Schumacher and Hamilton are locked on seven Drivers’ Championship titles apiece, with debates about who in their prime was the best-ever Formula One driver continuing to rumble on.
But according to Ralf Schumacher, who enjoyed 10 years in Formula One himself, it’s an open-and-shut case.
Speaking ahead of Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, Schumacher told Sport1.de: “The biggest difference is that Michael, among many other qualities, was able to develop a car perfectly for his driving style together with the engineers.
“Lewis can’t do that. He’s never been able to do that, if you listen carefully to what the Mercedes technicians say.
“Toto Wolff [Mercedes boss] has emphasised more than once that a driver should step on the gas and the engineers should develop.”
He added: “But he also said that because his drivers were apparently incapable of giving the right input.
“Michael was completely different. He always gave his confidants like Ross Brawn or Jean Todt the direction.”
Ralf also doesn’t think the Brit will be considered the top dog when he arrives at Ferrari.
The 49-year-old continued: “That makes things even more difficult for Lewis: because Charles Leclerc is the top dog. Everyone in the team knows him. For Lewis, everything is new at Ferrari.
“What’s more, Michael came to Ferrari as the current world champion and was much younger. That’s not the case with Lewis.”
Schumacher has made it clear in the past that he doesn’t particularly rate Hamilton’s versatility, claiming instead he needs everything pulling in his direction in order to find success on the track.
Speaking to Sky Germany, he said: ”He simply makes the difference.
“Max Verstappen is really capable of giving that little bit extra that those exceptional world champions before him already have.
“There are not many of them, and I honestly don’t count Lewis Hamilton among that list.
“Hamilton is certainly exceptional, but also needs a bit of the perfect environment and car, just like Sebastian Vettel.
“But Max Verstappen, what he has achieved this year in these circumstances – problems with Christian Horner, the departure of Adrian Newey.”
Hamilton will get the chance to silence his doubters when the 2025 Formula One season kicks off in March.
