Brawn compares F1 greats Schumacher and Hamilton 

Formula 1 sporting chief Ross Brawn has weighed in on the debate of who is the greater driver out of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. 

Hamilton heads into the 2020 season on the verge of equalling Schumacher’s all-time record of seven world championships, while he could also surpass the German’s win tally of 91. 

Hamilton already holds the record for most pole positions and has continued to cement his position as one of the all-time greats by sealing a sixth drivers’ title last year. 

Brawn, who worked with both drivers throughout his career during spells at Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes, shared his thoughts on the duo’s respective talents and achievements. 

“They are both massively talented in what they do in the car and those moments where they pull something out of nowhere,” Brawn explained. 

“Some of the qualifying laps Lewis has done have left the team speechless. Michael was the same. There are sometimes just those drivers who can do that.

“Lewis… has deserved every championship he has won. He has got himself at the right team at the right time and he is at peak performance.

“He doesn’t make mistakes and is a fantastic driver. His performance is exceptional. It is not like Lewis is winning out of luck. He is winning because he is doing a fantastic job and you have to give him credit.”

Brawn also notes that both drivers have very different approaches towards working with their cars, something influenced by the respective eras they both drove in. Citing this element, Brawn believes it is therefore extremely difficult to compare the pair. 

“They were different eras, different competition, different types of car, and quite different personalities,” Brawn added. “Very different personalities.

“Lewis is incredibly professional, dedicated and committed but Michael had an intensity of detail toward the car that Lewis doesn’t need. 

“Michael was brought up in an era where there wasn’t the technology there is now. Data analysis was pretty crude; driver involvement was much higher.

“Now a driver gets out of the car and the engineer has an analysis of the car’s behaviour through every corner. So the driver almost doesn’t have to say very much.

“When I first worked with Michael, we had a sheet with the corner numbers on and he had to explain where he had understeer or oversteer and we would then analyse that. 

“Now, by the time the driver turns his radio on, they have the analysis. So the needs and requirements of a driver are quite different. 

“Michael had that intensity and involvement in the car that Lewis doesn’t need to have, so I don’t know how he would engage in that way as he’s been brought up in an era where that isn’t needed.”