Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher believes Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is the best all-around driver in the sport right now.
The seven-time World Champion is involved in an epic title race with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, vying for an eighth World Championship, which would see Hamilton surpass Ralf’s brother Michael Schumacher’s record of eight World Championships.
And, following his victory in a tumultuous Russian Grand Prix in which rain fell in the closing stages, Hamilton has reclaimed the lead in the Drivers’ Championship, two points ahead of Verstappen.
Though both are considered elite racing talents, there has been significant dispute about how these two drivers compare to one another.
However, Schumacher considers Hamilton to be superior in terms of his entire skill set, which he believes makes him the most complete racing driver in the championship.
“Lewis is currently the most complete racing driver in the field,” Schumacher wrote in his Sky Germany column.
“He has a lot of experience and works closely with the team. Whenever it matters in qualifying or in the race, he can deliver his performance flawlessly.”
100 @F1 Grand Prix wins and counting ? @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/snqKt3seF2
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) September 30, 2021
Hamilton became the first driver to win 100 Grands Prix in Russia, but how many more he will win is less certain now, according to Schumacher, because Mercedes is no longer the only strong power in F1.
Overview
Lewis Hamilton is without a doubt one of the most well-known Formula One drivers. With many world records and seven World Championships under his belt, he has cemented his place among the sport’s all-time greats.
He debuted with McLaren in 2007 and was impressed from the start. Hamilton won his first Globe Championship in 2008, announcing his brilliance to the rest of the world.
He joined Mercedes, a midfield team at the time, in 2013. The team’s fortunes, however, were immediately reversed in the 2014 season.
Lewis Hamilton dominated from 2014 to 2020, only losing the 2016 season championship to Nico Rosberg, his teammate at the time.
He got to where he is now by being quick and consistent, winning seven World Championships and 99 races.
He currently holds the all-time record for the most pole positions in Formula One, with 101, ahead of second-place Michael Schumacher’s 68.
Most Wins in a Debut Season (4), Most Pole Positions in a Debut Season (6), Most Points in a Debut Season (109), Most Consecutive Podium Positions from Debut (9) and Youngest Driver to Lead the Championship were among the awards he received in 2007. (achieved at the 2007 Spanish Grand Prix).
His 413 points in the 2019 championship season set a new world record for the most points scored by a driver in a single season.
He also won the 2020 world championship with 347 points, equalling Schumacher’s record of seven.
Lewis Hamilton’s history in F1
Hamilton’s debut season in Formula One saw him team up with Fernando Alonso, the two-time and defending World Champion. Hamilton is the first and only black driver to compete in the series as of 2021.
Hamilton and Alonso were involved in a number of accidents throughout the season, resulting in tensions between the two drivers and the team, culminating in Alonso and McLaren mutually terminating their contract in November.
In 2008, Hamilton’s success continued. He won five races and finished on the podium 10 times, but he was also accused of arrogance and risky driving, despite the fact that he said his self-assurance was misinterpreted and that his driving was firm but fair.
As the season came to a close in Brazil, it was evident that Felipe Massa, the home favourite, and the young Briton were in a two-horse race for the championship.
Hamilton continued to finish on the podium and win races throughout his final four years with McLaren. He had a chance to win the championship in the final round of the 2010 season, but he finished fourth after Sebastian Vettel won the race to claim his first drivers’ title.
Hamilton was reunited with his childhood karting teammate Nico Rosberg when he signed with Mercedes in 2013. Professionals and the general public were taken aback by the transfer, with some portraying it as a risky move to Mercedes, a team with no recent success.
Hamilton won a single race in his first season with the Silver Arrows, the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he converted an unexpected pole position into a winning margin of more than 11 seconds over second-place finisher Kimi Räikkönen, as well as a number of podium finishes and pole positions, finishing fourth in the standings for the third time in five years.
Before the start of the 2015 season, Hamilton announced that he would not be using his right as reigning World Champion to switch his car number to 1, and would instead run with his career No. 44.
Hamilton declared he would defend his title in 2019 after signing a contract with Mercedes that ran until 2020.
Hamilton led the drivers’ standings for the duration of the season, holding off championship bids from teammate Bottas, the Honda-powered Red Bull of Verstappen, and Ferrari’s newly promoted Leclerc to win his sixth drivers’ title at the 2019 United States Grand Prix.
In a season marked by the COVID-19 epidemic, Hamilton won his seventh drivers’ title in 2020, equaling Schumacher’s record.
Hamilton signed a deal with the team in February 2021 to continue racing for the team in 2021.
Hamilton signed a contract extension with Mercedes in July 2021, extending his contract until the end of 2023. At the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, he won his 100th race. For the 2022 season, he will be partnered with George Russell.
Lewis Hamilton team and assistant
To be at the top of their game, every athlete must keep in shape. The same can be said about Formula One drivers, as the sport is physically demanding. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes has won his sixth Formula One World Championship.
Since the 2016 season, Lewis Hamilton has had a continuous presence in his corner in the form of his physiotherapist, Angela Cullen.
Cullen is a physiotherapist and trainer located in Switzerland who has worked with the Briton throughout the majority of his career.
She’s in charge of the six-time champion’s food, sleeping habits, travel itineraries, and mental preparation. Despite being an important member of Team Hamilton, she works for Hintsa Performance.
She is one of the paddock’s many (over a dozen) Hintsa-appointed “minders.” They are all responsible for keeping their drivers in good mental, physical, and psychological condition.
The life of Lewis Hamilton and his family
Growing up, Hamilton did not have the easiest of childhoods. When Lewis Hamilton was two years old, his parents, Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier, divorced.
Hamilton was ridiculed in school as a child, and he frequently mentions how he turned to karting to demonstrate his abilities on the track.
Lewis grew up with his stepmother and siblings for the majority of his adolescence. Hamilton has two half-sisters, Samantha and Nicola, as well as a half-brother, Nicolas.
Nicolas Hamilton frequently attends race weekends to support his older brother. Nicolas has Cerebral Palsy, which makes it difficult for him to move.
Nicolas, on the other hand, was undeterred in his pursuit of a racing career. The British driver is presently competing in the British Touring Car Championship with a specially built car to help him cope with his condition.
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