F1 Insider Declares Lewis Hamilton ‘More Talented’ Than Michael Schumacher

Lewis Hamilton‘s performances in his debut year at Ferrari have remained insignificant. The Briton is unable to win races with the Italian constructor despite giving it his all. The seven-time champion’s performances at Mercedes had been different from his current experience. As such, James Vowles, current Williams team principal, who worked at Mercedes, has compared Hamilton with Michael Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher raced for Mercedes for a brief period between 2010-2012, but couldn’t achieve any significant results. His results were inadequate as the Silver Arrows tried to gain a strong footing in F1. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton joined Brackley in the 2013 season as a one-time champion and quickly got up to speed and won six titles by come 2020 season. James Vowles had been the strategist at the team and saw both drivers race for the constructor.

James Vowles recalled that Michael Schumacher wasn’t the best driver in a Mercedes car back then. Rather, it was Lewis Hamilton. Vowles recalled that Hamilton changed every setting on the steering wheel that was within his reach. The 46-year-old joked that the Briton made changes to the steering wheel and used it ‘like an octopus’.

Michael [Schumacher] was not the best driver in the car; Lewis was. He changed every setting of the steering wheel he could reach like an octopus.

James Vowles said on the High Performance podcast

James Vowles also recollected the time when Lewis Hamilton was up against Nico Rosberg at Mercedes and the two drivers were practising on the simulator for the Brazilian GP. Hamilton did not listen to Vowles’ advice to stick to a gear while going uphill, while Rosberg did. However, the 40-year-old gained an extra tenth back then after claiming that sticking to a single gear wasn’t for him.

During a simulation in Brazil, I once told him to keep his sixth gear uphill. Nico (Rosberg, ed.) maintained his position. Lewis said after two laps that it wasn’t right for him, and he found an extra tenth. Optimize everything, using data as a starting point.

James Vowles added

James Vowles calls Lewis Hamilton a ‘perfectionist’

Even though the recent years have been difficult for Lewis Hamilton, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula 1. The Briton had unmatched performances back in the day, which he is still capable of. He just needs the correct setup and machinery in order to excel at Ferrari. James Vowles christens the 40-year-old with an impressive title, despite his recent struggles.

James Vowles reckoned that Lewis Hamilton possessed such a sensitivity to the limit that no other driver could match. This caused some problems for Hamilton while racing on the track in the beginning. However, as soon as he found his rhythm, he was unmatched in terms of pace. As such, Vowles insisted that the Briton has been a ‘perfectionist’ and strong while braking, which only adds to his potential.

In addition to this, he also has a sensitivity to the limit that no one else can match, and he has no problem looking for the limit. This is why he often went long at the first corner after the finish line at the beginning, but now he has the situation under control. He was a perfectionist, and he was really strong when braking; he could maximize everything when braking.

James Vowles noted

Lewis Hamilton has already achieved a lot in Formula 1 and will definitely only go upwards from this point forward. The Briton has shifted his focus away from the 2025 season and onto the upcoming season. As such, the 40-year-old is likely to start performing much better in the coming year and finally contend for both titles with Ferrari.