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“Lewis Is No Highness” – Schumacher Questions Openness Amid F1 Backlash for Hamilton Criticism

Published 08/24/2021, 11:51 AM EDT

The inevitable incident at Silverstone earlier this season spurred massive controversy, with Lewis Hamilton receiving insane backlash from the fans. Many felt that Hamilton’s action was deliberate, reckoning he took an entirely different racing line on lap 1 of the British GP.

And the criticisms turned ugly in time, which led to several entities in F1, including the Mercedes boss, himself calling for more respect for the 7-time world champion.

A lot of drivers, too, urged the fans to stop with hate comments against the Mercedes driver and demanded them to show some respect for the knight.

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However, former F1 driver, Ralf Schumacher, isn’t shying away from laying a strong opinion against such demands. He opined that Lewis Hamilton isn’t a ‘highness’ to receive a king’s treatment in F1, as he felt that backlashes are always inevitable after causing such a crash.

What did the Ex F1 driver say?

During an exclusive interview with F1-Insider, Schumacher revealed that he was shocked when he noticed Wolff urging everyone to show some respect for Hamilton. Schumacher further felt that laying such a demand is a shame.

“Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff actually called for more respect for Hamilton after the accident with Verstappen at Silverstone,” he said.

“I can’t understand that and think it’s a shame. Because no matter which and how many titles someone has, we are all human, mistakes can be made.”

Hamilton did pay the price of a 10-second penalty for causing the collision, but that was it. Red Bull did appeal the FIA’s verdict, demanding more punishment for Hamilton. However, the FIA hardly moved the case forward, as they felt that their evidence wasn’t enough to prove the Briton guilty.

It’s bad that you can’t talk about Lewis Hamilton openly: Schumacher

Schumacher instantly assigned the blame on Hamilton for the Silverstone incident. Hence, he felt that calling Hamilton’s action ‘amateurish’ is not wrong whatsoever.

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“For me, it was a mistake by Lewis Hamilton, which of course had great consequences for Red Bull. I think it’s bad that you can’t talk about it openly,” he said.

“I also don’t know if it’s that bad if you’ve described Lewis’s action at Silverstone as amateurish. Lewis is no Highness, he’s still a person who goes to the bathroom just like all of us.”

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These are strong words from Ralf Schumacher, and this could open a new chapter in the ongoing Hamilton-Verstappen saga. Hence, amidst the already persisting heat between Red Bull and Mercedes, will Schumacher’s comments pour more fuel on the blazing inferno?

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Written by:

Rohit Kumar is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. He has been an ardent follower of the racing series since 2007, with his love for the sport coinciding with his love for Kimi Raikkonen. He is also an ardent follower of Sebastian Vettel and Aston Martin Racing.

“Lewis Is No Highness” – Schumacher Questions Openness Amid F1 Backlash for Hamilton Criticism

What did the Ex F1 driver say?

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It’s bad that you can’t talk about Lewis Hamilton openly: Schumacher