"Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are less apart than you might imagine": Former co-worker details the drivers' similarities
Former F1 designer and engineer Aldo Costa claimed that Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher were quite similar in some aspects of racing. The 63-year-old Italian has worked with the two seven-time world champions during their peaks with Mercedes and Ferrari in the 21st century.
The two iconic drivers have defined generations with their success on the track in their manner but many had presumed that both had different approaches to racing given their lifestyles. However, speaking with QN Motori, Costa mentioned that Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have more in common than many would have imagined.
While the German driver was known for his obsession to succeed and an analytical approach to racing, Costa claimed that Hamilton too, had similar tendencies, saying (via SportsBible):
“I want to say right away that Michael and Lewis are less far apart than you might imagine. Both have always had a very analytical approach to things on the track. They are meticulous, and very professional. They know that at certain levels it is the details that shift the balance, that determine the outcome."
The 63-year-old engineer spoke about the importance of "trust" for both drivers in their teams, saying:
“Michael was very human in his working relationship. He would sit there with the engineers and calmly convey his feelings about the car he was driving. He was never obsessive, that’s all. [Hamilton is the] same thing. Lewis, I got to know better because in Mercedes I had a role that put me in more direct contact with the driver. He and I were symbiotic. Hamilton, like Schumi, asks for trust and trusts you."
Former F1 engineer comments on the difference between Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher
Whilst highlighting the similarities, Aldo Costa, who worked with Michael Schumacher at Ferrari and Mercedes, revealed that the drivers were different in how comfortable were in using simulators.
Costa said during his comeback in F1 from (2010-2012), Schumacher struggled in racing simulators compared to Lewis Hamilton. As quoted by the aforementioned source, the Italian remarked:
“Schumacher was the last driver of an era when cars were developed on the track, through continuous testing on the asphalt, and in this he was formidable, unique I dare say. Lewis belongs to the time of the simulator. He has nothing to do with it, the rules have changed. In short: Michael was always behind the wheel, Hamilton almost never because he can’t."
Lewis Hamilton has gone on to break most of the records held by Michael Schumacher in the sport as the former dominated the sport from 2014 to 2021, which yielded six world championships to go along with his 2008 triumph.
The British driver is set to follow in the footsteps of the German as he joins Ferrari at the beginning of the 2025 season and will look to bring glory back to Maranello, similar to Schumacher in the early 2000s.