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Barrichello: Hamilton better than Schumacher and Senna

Published on 24 Jan 2020 14:24
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By: Fergal Walsh

Former grand prix driver Rubens Barrichello believes that six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is better than Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna.

Barrichello, who raced against all three of the aforementioned drivers throughout his career, says the only thing that Hamilton lacked in previous years was maturity, which he has now obtained.

Hamilton picked up his sixth title last year, finishing the season almost 100 points in front of his nearest challenger - teammate Valtteri Bottas.

MORE: Hamilton working 'twice as hard' to beat 'fierce' young drivers | Hamilton warns rivals he will 'be a machine' in 2020

The Briton is 7 wins away from matching Schumacher's all-time race win record, and should he win the world championship this year, he will level the German's all-time title tally.

"Hamilton has a talent that is possibly even greater than that of Ayrton and Schumacher," Barrichello told ESPN Brasil.

"The only thing he lacked was maturity. He has progressed on that, and today you see the final product," the former Ferrari driver added.

Barrichello added that the perfect racing driver would be a combination of the qualities of Hamilton, Schumacher and Senna.

"When I listened to the radio in Brazil, I noticed that he is incredibly calm, passing on information, saying what he does and doesn't need," he said.

"The perfect driver would have Ayrton's skill, Schumacher's courage and Hamilton's coordination. It would be something to see!"

Hamilton has once again been nominated at the Laureus Awards for the Sportsman of the Year, while his Mercedes team has received a nomination for Team of the Year.

f1ski

Posts: 726

Had MB not had the huge advantage with the power unit Hamilton would not have had the advantage he enjoyed and the results that place hime with the greats. What stands out to me about Schumacher was that his teammate never had similar results with the same equipment.I think where Hamilton loses ... [Read more]

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Jan 25 2020 - 00:28

F1 News Lewis Hamilton Michael Schumacher Rubens Barrichello Ayrton Senna Mercedes

Replies (9)

ajpennypacker

Posts: 2,475
Come on now... he said "possibly even greater than that of Ayrton and Schumacher"
Still, however, I can envision heads exploding by that mere suggestion. It's always sensitive when superlatives are brought up about Hamilton. Throw Schumacher and Senna into the mix and you will see the insults start flying. That being said, out of all people to make that comparison, it's interesting that it's Rubens who knew both Michael and Ayrton really well.
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- Jan 24 2020 - 18:53
- 2GRX7
  
  Posts: 108
  I believe Berger said the same thing about Hammy and he was teammate to both of them.
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  Jan 25 2020 - 18:48
- mcbhargav
  
  Posts: 1,332
  There is no way anyone could compare Lewis with Senna. The drivers back then had to deal with way more risk. Lewis IMO isn’t cut out for that adventure. If Rosberg could beat Lewis, Senna could decimate him.
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  Jan 27 2020 - 01:41
Pistonhead

Posts: 556
good enough for me
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- Jan 24 2020 - 23:25
f1ski

Posts: 726
Had MB not had the huge advantage with the power unit Hamilton would not have had the advantage he enjoyed and the results that place hime with the greats. What stands out to me about Schumacher was that his teammate never had similar results with the same equipment.I think where Hamilton loses out to the greats his ability to manage tires and to deal with stressful moments. How many times has he been heard crying to the team only to find himself winning later as a result of team strategy. He is insanely fast in the past very aggressive but not as great a racer as Senna or Schumacher.
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- Jan 25 2020 - 00:28
- 2GRX7
  
  Posts: 108
  Power advantage? One could say the same thing about Schumi/Ferrari years, and Schumi didn't allow for equal equipment-he ALWAYS got the new stuff first. You think he looses out on tire management? Really? Why do you think that? I've never heard a pundit say he's harsh on tires-quite the opposite, really.
  
  Questioning's not crying-it's simply that! One collaborates to gain the best outcome, and doesn't just simply accept it.
  
  The article's already stated that he's grown up, so I'm questioning this thought.
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  Jan 25 2020 - 19:01
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  It's quite rich to say that Schumacher didn't have as great an advantage as Hamilton. The argument about weak teammates actually validates even more the case for saying that Michael had a grater advantage. Michael never really had a strong teammate. He was never on equal terms. He was always the #1 driver. Ferrari in the 2000's was about as dominant as Mercedes. I'd argue the big difference was that Mercedes were smart enough to get two fast drivers instead of just one. Compare how many races Irvine, Barrichello, and Irvine, won vs Bottas and Rosberg in the same period of time. It's not even close.
  
  Say what you will about Lewis, but arguing that Schumacher didn't have a massive advantage is ridiculous. I'd argue that on similar equipment, Michael would have won one or two championships with Ferrari at best. We saw clearly what happened when Renault finally caught up to Ferrari; Alonso beat him two years in a row
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  Jan 25 2020 - 21:16
Mansell

Posts: 104
Rubens, rubens , rubens, really
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- Jan 25 2020 - 20:12
Ram Samartha

Posts: 1,172
Could very well be right. Look at his stats, they don't lie. Now I would say he's on par with them. If he stays on form for the next 3-4 years there's no question that he's the best of all.
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- Jan 27 2020 - 00:09