Massa: Schumacher worked harder but Hamilton more talented in F1
Hamilton’s victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix last Sunday set a single record for most Grand Prix wins, his 92nd career win over six-time F1 world champion Portimao.
He equaled Schumacher’s record of seven titles, once again comparing the two superstars.
Felipe Massa, an 11-time Grand Prix winner, has worked closely with Schumacher as part of the Ferrari system, including a season as a teammate in 200 years, and the two have come very close.
Hamilton, meanwhile, had been a close rival to Massa for several years, including a spectacular showdown at the 2006 World Championships.
While acknowledging the best basis for the comparison is that if he mates with both drivers, Massa thinks he still has an insight into how they equip.
Speaking to the In the Fast Lane podcast, Massa said that Schumacher’s valuable ethics in fitness and car determination are second to none – but Hamilton is probably the more naturally gifted of the two.
“It’s very hard to compare,” he said. “I didn’t compete with Lewis in the same team. You both have to run in the same car, to understand the data and compare with each other.
“But both are absolutely amazing and talented and different and in many cases full drivers
“I would say technically, Michael was in the front. I’m not really looking at Lewis with the engineers to understand everything technically. I don’t really think he knows. [the car] 100%. But talent and speed alone …
“Michael was training extensively physically, Michael was very good technically. I’m not sure. [Hamilton] Exactly the same from the physical point of view of training, but he is not really the same from the technical point of view.
“But he’s making everything perfect. Perhaps in terms of talent, he’s finished [Schumacher]. Because even if he doesn’t work hard, he can do everything in a perfect way. “
Massa added that Hamilton’s raw ability was evident when he first came to Formula in 2007, and that McLaren fought for the title despite Fernando Alonso’s match against two-time world champions.
“It was clear that Lewis was a very talented driver from the start,” Massa said.
“She did not win [the title] He had some mistakes in 2007 because, perhaps, some racing experience was missing.
“I remember in China he crashed at the pit stop, he just stopped in the run-off zone. In the end he didn’t win the championship because of some mistake, and he had a fight with Alonso in the same team.
“But it shows that he has talent. He showed that he was different, he can beat any driver. He showed directly in his first year, even Fernando Alonso is a great talent … He gave Fernando his first year in Formula 1.
“In the end, his numbers are showing his strength. The numbers continue to show what he’s been able to do, because he’s going to beat all the records in Formula 1, win and maybe this year he’s going to have the same title as Michael Schumacher.“ Something that is ”incredible.“
Source: insidewalessport.co.uk
