'I've raced Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – I know who the better driver is'
With seven world titles a piece, one of Formula One's greatest debates is whether Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher is the best to have taken to the track.
Lewis Hamilton is a more talented driver than Michael Schumacher, according to former F1 star Rubens Barrichello. The debate over who is the greater between the pair has long been a hot topic of conversation, particularly with them both having won seven F1 drivers' titles a piece.
Hamilton almost moved ahead of Schumacher in 2021, only for the controversial ending to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to thwart him. As the Brit now prepares to head to Schumacher's old hunting ground, Ferrari, he'll be hoping to challenge at the top once more in a bid to finally reach eight titles.
That will no doubt stoke further opinion about the greatest of all time. Brazilian ace Barrichello, who raced against both, including as team-mate to Schumacher at Ferrari – has already had his say on the matter.
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“Hamilton better than Schumacher? I think so,” Barrichello admitted in 2020. “I competed with both but was only there in the early years of Hamilton, but I think so.”
Barrichello raced between 1993 and 2011, meaning he was around for every one of Schumacher's championship wins, including a record-breaking five consecutive titles from 2000 until 2004. Hamilton first became world champion in 2008 but would not win another for six more years – when he went on to dominate the hybrid era, beginning in 2014.
Regardless, Barrichello selected Hamilton as a better driver than Schumacher, whom he raced against at the very peak of his powers.
Schumacher returned to the paddock in 2010 and raced against Hamilton’s McLaren for three years before the Brit replaced him at the German outfit. However, James Vowles, who worked with the pair during this period, actually agrees with Barrichello that Hamilton is the more naturally talented driver.
"I struggle to find another sport similar to this where it's a team sport, but it starts with beating your team-mate," he told the High Performance podcast. "If you don't beat your team-mate, you're in question. The key behind it is that's just one fight, but actually, each individual contributes towards the success of the team. Simple as that.
"With Lewis, when he joined us [he] was, and still is today, the most - within my Mercedes career - the most naturally talented driver I've worked with, including Michael. Just so much natural talent. That journey we took him on was, 'We'll win championships together'.
"His mentality at the time when he joined was a brilliant one, I can see why he's so successful, but it was, 'I'm going to win every race at all costs, it doesn't matter what the cost is'.
"Lewis just has oodles of natural talent. And, with him, he's got these tendencies and traits where when you go out in FP1, he's like an octopus all over the wheel. He'll change every setting on the wheel near enough and explore it. But it's what makes him incredible.”
