Ralf Schumacher has pointed out a significant difference between his legendary brother, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. While Hamilton recently joined Ferrari, aiming to win a drivers’ title for the team—something Kimi Raikkonen last achieved in 2007—Ralf highlighted a key area where Hamilton falls short compared to Michael. The seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher, was known not only for his on-track success but also for his ability to work closely with engineers to develop a car that perfectly suited his driving style.
According to Ralf, this is a major weakness of Hamilton’s. “The biggest difference is that Michael, among many other qualities, was able to work with engineers to develop a car that suited his driving style perfectly. Lewis can’t,” Ralf said in an interview with Sport1.de. He added that, despite Hamilton’s exceptional driving skills, he has never been able to collaborate with engineers in the same way Michael did.
Ralf also pointed out that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has often stressed how important it is for a driver to provide valuable feedback to engineers to help improve the car. Wolff’s comments suggest that Mercedes drivers, including Hamilton, have struggled in this area. “Toto Wolff mentioned more than once that a driver has to push, while engineers develop the car. But he also said that this was because his drivers weren’t able to provide the right input,” Ralf explained.
In contrast, Michael Schumacher was renowned for his technical expertise and ability to give detailed feedback, which allowed him to extract the best performance from his cars. This skill played a crucial role in his dominance, including his five consecutive drivers’ titles with Ferrari from 2000 to 2004.
