Ralf Schumacher: Lewis Hamilton “light years” behind Michael

Lewis Hamilton “can never” usurp Michael Schumacher as F1’s greatest-ever driver, Ralf Schumacher claims.

Hamilton is officially the most successful driver in Formula 1 history, with seven championships, 105 grands prix wins and 104 pole positions.

He needs one more title to edge clear of the record he shares with the legendary Michael Schumacher.

But Michael’s brother Ralf was quoted by Gazzetta: "Hamilton can never get close to Michael.

“He will always be light years away from my point of view.

"In Formula 1 it's up to the team to provide the car to win a grand prix.

“We all thought Lewis could walk on water and instead he didn't."

Ralf continued: "People keep asking me if Lewis is the best driver of all time now that he is breaking many of my brother's records.

“In my opinion, Hamilton is certainly the strongest of his time.

“But comparing him to Michael is difficult.

"In addition to his great talent, Hamilton has also been able to count on an exceptional technical package at Mercedes. For my brother it was not always like this.”

Ralf Schumacher also compared Hamilton unfavourably to Max Verstappen.

“Max is more talented than Lewis,” Ralf claimed.

“This puts him in a different category.

“Michael was one of the drivers who made the difference, just like it's happening now with Verstappen himself."

In 2025, Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari could add another epic chapter to his already iconic career.

Should he win an eighth F1 championship with Ferrari - the team synonymous with Michael Schumacher’s triumphs - he would stand alone with the most titles ever.

Schumacher won five of his seven titles in five consecutive years during a period of dominance with Ferrari.

He won his first two with Benetton.

Schumacher came out of a three-year retirement to spend his final years in F1 driving for Mercedes, laying the groundwork for the project’s early days which would later enable Hamilton to usher in an era of dominance for the manufacturer.