Following the bombshell announcement of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton ‘dream move’ to Ferrari in 2025, the Formula 1 community has been drawing parallels between Lewis Hamilton and the legendary Michael Schumacher. One F1 pundit, Jean Alesi—an ex-Ferrari driver—even compared Lewis’ Ferrari switch to the one made by Schumacher in 1996.
Amidst these ‘Hamilton-Schumacher’ comparisons, one prediction made by Michael Schumacher about Hamilton back in 2007 has resurfaced in the world of F1.
Michael Schumacher’s 2007 evaluation of Lewis Hamilton
It’s no surprise to hear F1 drivers, especially Lewis Hamilton and the current World Champ Max Verstappen, being compared to the sports ‘greatest-ever’ Michael Schumacher. But seeing Michael Schumacher praise a F1 driver and even subtly compare himself to himself is a rare sight.
After Lewis Hamilton confirmed his Ferrari move, a certain clip of Michael Schumacher talking about Hamilton reappeared on the scene. The clip shows him praising the seven-time champion during an interview for Sky News in 2007.
“He is a very talented driver. Not a surprise he’s that successful because, seeing his GP2 season last year [2006], which I followed a little bit closely because the team [McLaren] owner and manager, Nicolas Tatis, obviously very closely related to us.”
Admiring Hamilton’s consistency, Schumacher added, “For me, it’s not a surprise he shows up the way he’s doing. It’s surprising to see him be consistent so early, but we cross fingers he keeps it up.”
It turns out Michael Schumacher was right about Lewis Hamilton, as they both are tied up with 7 World titles each; they both are now in Formula 1’s ‘GOAT’ status.
Lewis Hamilton on GOAT status
Talking about Formula 1’s ‘Greatest of All Time’ heated debate, Lewis Hamilton once spilled his words into the mix. In a live interview on the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Show’, he faced a question about F1’s ‘GOAT’.
The host, Jimmy Kimmel, asked Hamilton whether he thinks he is the greatest Formula 1 driver in history. “You know what, I know what I am. I know how good I am. But I don’t really like to talk about it. I like to just do the talking on the track,” he replied.
Bringing his father into the mix, he added, “That’s what my dad always said when I was a kid. When we were racing, and we were on the receiving end of discrimination because we were the only people of color on the racetrack. My dad said, ‘Just do your talking on the track.'”
“So even today, I don’t feel like I need to say it. I just let what I’ve been doing on the circuit, what I’m doing off the circuit, kind of talk,” he told Kimmel.
While he stayed humble and did not outright agree to anything, statistics did the talking for him. He will be eyeing a record-breaking eighth world championship title with Ferrari in 2025 and actually marking himself as F1’s “GOAT.”
Can he win his eighth world title with Ferrari and beat Michael Schumacher’s record? Can he finally reach ‘GOAT’ status? Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments.
