Now Sir Lewis Hamilton has become a seven-time Formula One World Champion and smashed several records, there's been plenty of discussions as to why Sir Lewis is a better driver than Michael Schumacher just on the fact that F1 is a number's game. However, it's integral to note that there's more to F1 than just the number of constructors and titles.
First of all, it's important to note that history can help to explain the reasons behind why there's little comparison between Hamilton and Schumacher. The two drivers had rather different starts in the sport. Hamilton, it could be argued, was given his seat at the age of 22 thanks to Ron Dennis pushing him to success, where his prodigious talent was allowed to shine through. The year following his debut season in 2008, Hamilton would win his first title.
By contrast, Schumacher, following his initial Championship successes, moved to a Ferrari team where glory had eluded them for the best part of two decades. It would be thanks to the likes of Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne as super technicians that would give Ferrari the edge over other teams. As opposed to having instant success, the Italians would have to wait another five years before Schumacher took his first title for them in 2000.
The changes in technology have been a big part of why Hamilton has experienced such great success, as well as portraying why there's a lack of comparison between the two drivers. The technical differences between Formula One now and 20 odd years ago are staggering, not least thanks to the inclusions of DRS, hybrid systems and the Halo amongst others. Improvements in tech over the last two decades haven't been just limited to Formula One, with the take-off of the internet for instance appearing vital to the way society operates.
This has meant that entertainment over the years has also changed. The rise of video-on-demand services such as Netflix has allowed people to behind the scenes with F1 thanks to the Drive To Survive series and also engage in new pastimes such as online casinos which help to explain the sudden popularity of all in one content libraries. Just like F1, the online casino industry is very competitive. The likes of Bonus have done a premier study on the best online casinos that exist from across the web and as a comparison site, are a testament to the games' popularity. Without a vast number of providers, sites such as those wouldn't exist and by using industry experts, they make sure that consumers are getting the best deals.
There's no doubt that Sir Lewis definitely has the talent of Schumacher, but one thing that must be noted is that he's hardly been challenged by any other driver. Ferrari in their prime with the likes of the F2004 was unbeatable, but Mercedes and Hamilton have taken to a whole new level. Whilst Ferrari had to wait a full five years, Mercedes, with Hamilton in the seat, had success within two years of him joining. The 2014 car as the first of the V6 Hybrid era signalled the demise of Red Bull and the rise of Mercedes and a whole new type of dominance. It's turned into a case of not if Hamilton or a Mercedes will win a Grand Prix, but by how many seconds they'll win by.
This kind of dominance has led some to say that if you put the drivers at the bottom end of the grid that they'd have a good chance of taking the victory. George Russell put this to the test at the back-end of the 2020 season in Bahrain and before an unfortunate issue, was proving the Hamilton-bashers right.
The power of the Mercedes is virtually unrivalled in the current climate and grand prix have become more of a Sunday drive than a dogfight. There's not the same passion with Hamilton as there was with Schumacher, as there's no-one there to challenge. Even when there was a battle that went down to the wire such as in Hamilton's second season in 2008 between him and Massa, which was a battle of strategy and finishing in the right position; it wasn't a winner-takes-all drive as was the case between Schumacher and both Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are undoubtedly the best drivers that the sport has ever seen. It's clear the incessant comparisons between the two of them are really unwarranted. They raced in their prime in different eras and it's hardly a fair comparison, not just between them, but also others who can be considered the all-time greats.
