Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are two of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history, each with seven world championships, but they dominated the sport at different times.

Schumacher’s time at Ferrari is especially unforgettable, with five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004. He then retired after the 2006 season but came back with Mercedes for 2010. However, his three year stint with the Silver Arrows wasn’t as succesful again.

When Mercedes brought Hamilton in 2013 to replace Schumacher, it was a big change for the team. Hamilton was tasked with building on the foundation Schumacher had helped lay, leading Mercedes to become a top team in the years after.

Overall, Hamilton’s impact at Mercedes has been similar to Schumacher’s at Ferrari. He helped transform Mercedes into one of the sport’s most successful teams, winning multiple titles.

Now, as he heads to Ferrari in 2025, the Briton is chasing his eighth title, which would make him the most decorated driver in F1 history. It’s a big change, following in Schumacher’s footsteps and taking on the challenge of returning Ferrari to the top. 

Ralf Schumacher, Michael’s brother, has spoken about the challenges Hamilton will face at Ferrari. He pointed out that Michael was exceptional at working with engineers to develop a car, something he feels Hamilton struggles with.

"The biggest difference is that Michael, among many other qualities, was able to work with the engineers to develop a car that suited his driving style perfectly. Lewis can't," Schumacher told Sport1.de. 

"He has never been able to do that, if you listen carefully to what the Mercedes engineers say. 

"Toto Wolff stressed more than once that a driver has to accelerate and that the engineers have to develop. But he also said that because apparently, his drivers were not able to give the right input."

Schumacher believes that Hamilton may never reach the same level of success his brother had with the team. He highlighted that, although Hamilton is familiar with Ferrari’s new team boss, Frederic Vasseur, he doesn’t have the same deep connection to the team that Charles Leclerc has and is seen as the Scuderia’s future.

"Michael was very different," said Schumacher.

"He always gave direction to his confidants like Ross Brawn or Jean Todt. 

"That makes it even more difficult for Lewis, because Charles Leclerc is the top dog. Everyone in the team knows him. 

"For Lewis, everything is new at Ferrari. Moreover, Michael came to Ferrari as the current world champion and he was much younger. That is not the case with Lewis."