Former F1 Driver Hopes Lewis Hamilton Does Not Catch Schumacher’s Record

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton looks set to race to his 6th Formula One title in 2019.  Unless Valtteri Bottas can stop him or Ferrari can pull up their socks and mount a serious challenge.

However, Former F1 driver, Gerhard Berger, hopes that Lewis Hamilton cannot catch Michael Schumacher’s record of 7 titles. The reason that he gave to justify his statement seemed a little bizarre though.

Speaking to the media, Berger said, “I would like to protect Michael’s success because it’s such a tragedy, it’s so sad to see these things,”

“But when you put this all out for a moment, then Lewis Hamilton is a very special driver in all the time I have watched and have been in Formula 1.”

Interestingly though, he rates Ayrton Senna higher, inspite of the statistical superiority of Schumacher. To that effect, Berger is of the opinion that Lewis Hamilton is on par with the legendary Brazilian.

Berger continued, “Everybody asks me: ‘How do you see this driver against Ayrton?’”

“And I always, in all the years, say: ‘I don’t see anybody near to Ayrton’.

“But Lewis is [now] the first driver I put on the same level as Ayrton.

“The comparison? I see still Ayrton winning the game because in the end Ayrton was such a charming guy and a personality.

“And obviously if someone loses his life and stays with us in the way of a legend, it’s always something special.”

However, he also admitted that his opinion from a performance point of view. In his own words, “Lewis is going from one pole position to the next one and Lewis is going from one race win to the next one. Just like Ayrton did.”

“I go more by feeling and watching, and for me – and there were great champions like Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher – there has always been one above: Ayrton.”

“And now Lewis I see in the same league. It looks like he’s just running the game in such a good way that he’s unbeatable at the moment.”

“Yes he’s in the best car and best engine, but he also is the best. By far the best man at the moment.”