“Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna?” Almost every driver in the current Formula 1 circuit (except for Mick Schumacher, for obvious reasons) would choose Senna over the seven-time champion. Senna and Schumacher are both part of the all-time greats F1 has seen in its 73-year history, but Schumacher, statistically, has a much better track record compared to the Brazilian. Even so, it’s Senna that drivers tend to gravitate toward, including Lewis Hamilton.

Contrary to popular belief, F1 is not just about numbers. While the “greatness” of a driver, to some extent, can be measured by how successful they’ve been on track, it depends on so much more. F1 journalist James Allen revealed just why Senna has a greater breadth of appeal than Schumacher for Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton is not a fan of the Michael Schumacher style of perfection

What was it that made Ayrton Senna the driver he was? More often than not, people would say it was his daring and fearless driving style, with a touch of ruthlessness and riskiness. When you think about it, that driving style was anything but perfect. But that’s what Hamilton loved about the three-time champion—that he was so raw, yet so mesmerizing to watch. As per James Allen’s book, Michael Schumacher: The Edge of Greatness, Senna and Schumacher couldn’t be more different.

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He wrote, “Schumacher had a bit of the devil in him, and many people are unwilling to forgive him for that. Combined with this was a meticulous dedication to his craft, the quest for perfection. The French actress Jeanne Moreau once said that ‘perfection in a man is easy to admire but hard to love,’ and this observation certainly applied to Michael Schumacher, the racing driver.”

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“He did not have Senna’s sense of style nor his obvious raw passion. Instead, precision, hard work, and discipline were his hallmarks; qualities which do not win over hearts and minds,” added Allen. Although Hamilton and most of the grid know the qualities Schumacher had are crucial to being successful in F1, this generation of drivers can’t really connect with the German because of them. Because of this, it’s Senna they look up to more, and Hamilton proved his allegiance to the Brazilian a few weeks ago.

Hamilton upheld Ayrton Senna’s belief at the Belgian GP

Ayrton Senna once said, “If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you’re no longer a racing driver.” During the Sprint at the Belgian GP weekend, Hamilton tried to overtake Sergio Perez for fourth place by going up the inside at Turn 14 and 15. In the process, he made contact with the Mexican’s RB19, eventually leading to Perez’s retirement from the race. Hamilton was given a five-second penalty for what he thought was a mere racing incident. 

While talking to the media after the race, he said, “I mean, my only thought is it’s tricky conditions out there. We’re all trying our best, and of course, it wasn’t intentional. I think I went for a gap. He was slow going through 14, I went up the inside, I was more than half a car length on the inside, and if you no longer go for a gap, you’re no longer a racing driver, as Ayrton [Senna] said, so that’s what I did. When I watched it back, it felt like a racing incident to me, so yep.”

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Who do you prefer? Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher?