Ex-Mercedes engineer claims Lewis Hamilton has ‘incredible feel for the car’ just like F1 legend Michael Schumacher
Lewis Hamilton is one of the best drivers to ever step foot into the exciting world of Formula 1.
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Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher (Via: Imago)
Over the years there have been several kinds of comparisons made between Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. Both are out-and-out greats of F1 who have amassed a record seven driver’s world championships.
While Michael Schumacher is no longer racing for medical reasons, Lewis Hamilton is still going strong against the young guns in the sport. Recently, former Mercedes engineer, Philipp Brandle, has taken the time to applaud the Brit.
During the ongoing 2024 F1 season, Hamilton is the only driver other than Max Verstappen to amass multiple victories.
What sets Lewis apart is simply his incredible feel for the car. I would say that in terms of data and technology, he is perhaps not as mature as other drivers, such as Nico Rosberg or now perhaps George Russell. But he has an incredible feel for the car, just like Michael Schumacher was said to have back then: He feels the car like no other.Philipp Brandle via Motorsport-Total
Schumacher used to put his car through the absolute wringer during his years at Ferrari. The same is pretty much the case with Hamilton as no matter whether his challenger is up to standards or not, he always tries to get the maximum out of it. Moreover, in pursuit of additional performance, he is often seen trying extreme setups during Grand Prix weekends.
Lewis Hamilton’s tire management skills are on a ‘sensational’ level
While Brandle views Hamilton and Schumacher in the same category when it comes to the feel of the car, he also believes that the former is also good at ‘tire management.’ The Brit always could make his tire last longer, and this very often plays in his favor during race weekends.
At the 2024 British Grand Prix, Hamilton was able to hold off a fast-charging Max Verstappen on a relatively old set of tires.
[Hamilton] can simply judge things extremely well. He is also a tyre whisperer, he feels the tyres like no other and can also manage them sensationally well.Philipp Brandle via the same interview
The 39-year-old is in his last season with the Mercedes F1 team this year. From next year onwards, he’ll be seen repping the Red of Ferrari, and considering this, he’ll be determined to give his all in the remaining 10 races. As indicated earlier, he has already amassed two race wins with the W15 and would thus, ideally like to notch up a few more before bringing the curtain down on his glorious spell with Mercedes.
In case you missed it:
- Toto Wolff admits Mercedes needs to ‘make up some ground’ despite winning three races before the summer break
- Ex-F1 driver claims Max Verstappen will be in ‘full-attack’ mode in front of home fans at Dutch GP
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Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)