Hamilton's dalliance with Ferrari was little more than a ruse to solicit a response from Mercedes-Benz. Does anyone in their right mind think that he would really join Ferrari when he is the chosen driver at Mercedes-Benz at the height of their powers? As Hamilton points out, he has always been with Mercedes-Benz. They will keep him in the team as long as he is competitive and still having fun with it. Then, they will sign him to a life long contract where he will be a brand ambassador. Thinking otherwise is pure folly. BHW
I really wish he would finish his career at Ferrari, but if I were him I wouldn't do it either. While I truly believe he's a far better racing driver than MS on track, I think MS was better at team building. Also MS had Ross B etc. to help build a team with. These days Ferrari is too much (but getting better) a blame and fire people environment for a driver like him to excell in. Let's face it, Ferrari should have won at least one of the last two WDC's or WCC's if they just put their heads down and worked through issues as a team like Merc have rather than playing blame game in public.
I think finishing his career always having been powered by Mercedes is cool thing to hang ones hat on. It's like Kobe always having played for the Lakers, Duncan with the Spurs, etc. Jordan is the goat, but finishing with the Wizards messed up a fairytale ending.
Jordan was so good and did so much for sport while with Bulls that that only true fans will remember him playing for Wizards. He will always be associated with Bulls. For Hamilton to go to another team and win would set him apart from everyone.
Hamilton would be more likely to lose his reputation joining Ferrari. A move to the Scuderia doesn't seem to have benefited Alonso or Vettel, both ex-WDC, so why would it be different for him?
Personally, I think that comparing drivers from different eras is pointless. But look what one who raced against 3 of them has to say: "Barrichello: Hamilton better than Schumacher and Senna https://www.gptoday.net/en/news/f1/253721/barrichello-hamilton-better-than-schumacher-and-senna Former grand prix driver Rubens Barrichello believes that six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is better than Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna."
IMO This Hamilton Ferrari thing only put out as rumor so he can negotiate the best possible contract with Merc
Sad that Rubens has to make statements like that to get the media's attention as he's otherwise been forgotten as another former #2.
Hamilton asks Mercedes to continue until 2024 and 55 million annually, according to Italian press....... Lewis Hamilton wants to continue with Mercedes. The Briton is willing to continue in Formula 1 until the end of the 2024 season and asks for a salary of 55 million euros per year plus bonus. According to the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, the requirements of the hexacampeón to maintain its alliance with Mercedes is an extension of the contract until the end of 2024 and a salary increase up to 55 million euros gross per year. If confirmed, Hamilton would continue in Formula 1 until the age of 39. This figure would be worth 44 to enter the list of the 10 highest paid athletes in the world. Desbancaría del décimo puesto al jugador de la NFL —Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano— Matthew Stafford. He would knock out the NFL player - National Football League - Matthew Stafford. It should be noted that the renowned Italian journalist Luigi Perna, of the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, recently published that Hamilton would renew only until 2022 and with a salary increase up to 45 million euros a year. That is to say, an increase of only three million with respect to the 42 that it currently perceives. Hamilton's contract with the German brand expires at the end of 2020. There has been much speculation about his future, even with a possible signing by Ferrari . However, the British has shown at all times his manifest desire to continue with the silver stars and in the competition. Toto Wolff also wants to keep the hexacampeon. He thinks that Hamilton has no reason to end his relationship with Mercedes after so many years of success. Even so, his departure would not stop the Brackley project as he has also warned. These new demands of Hamilton could be a problem for Daimler. The German company led by Ola Källenius wants to reduce the money invested in Formula 1 following the budget ceiling of about 154 million euros that will enter into force in 2021. https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=https://soymotor.com/noticias/hamilton-pide-mercedes-seguir-hasta-2024-y-55-millones-anuales-segun-prensa-italiana-973255&prev=search
Sad or objective. He has driven on the track with personal observation in detail. Yes only opinion but we would celebrate if MS was the highest of all noted by Rubens. Certainly he has respect of the highest for all 3 drivers. There is no 1 best driver ever.
"Hamilton has a talent that is possibly even greater than that of Ayrton and Schumacher," Barrichello told ESPN Brasil. POSSIBLY is rather pertinent no?
Formula changes again in 2021 so MB may not have the best car. Vettel's contract is up at the end of 2020. They may only offer him a one year or perhaps he only wants one year. You never know.
Exacty. And I've simply not seen Hamilton do what Schumacher has done for so many years (90s): Consistently out-drive the car to the point that he was challenging much faster cars for the title. Sure, Hamilton has had his moments when he was quite simply ''the best'' and untouchable all weekend by a decent margin. So has Vettel (arguably more times in his Red Bull days). No one is saying Vettel is the next Schumacher, however. Nor where they saying that about hamilton 2009-2013.
Some also choose to forget that during their tenure together, Button outscored Hamilton. Very close over the 3 year period
Barrichello and others are fully aware of the years Hamilton and Schumacher were not able to win the championship. Yet Barrichello has seen enough from Lewis to form a belief, as with other drivers. Lets not be so naive as to think we know more about F1 talent than drivers do, especially a driver who was Schumacher's team mate.
Yes Barrichello and other F1 drivers are aware of this, they are aware of years when Shumi showed lack of discipline, yet their personal F1 beliefs and experiences still say Hamilton is among the greatest
No I'm not. As other have said, comparing drivers from different times is hard. I honestly believe in terms of sheer skill they are probably very very close. The reason I discount MS is not because of his skill, it's because of his frequent non sporting and dangerous moves on track. Senna too. Driving people off track, purposefully crashing and general dangerous driving repeatedly means for me, Schumacher will never be in contention as GOAT. If he'd never have done that stuff, he'd be neck and neck with LCH, as it is, the way he conducted himself on track time after time, year after year he is unworthy of being considered GOAT.
I agree that it is hard to compare drivers from different eras with different cars, tracks, safety, and rules. Although Senna and Schumacher both had some less than desirable traits, I don't know if you can take away those items when deciding skill. Max Verstappen is noted as a driver who is "hard to pass" and at times has crossed the line. Even Le Clerc in the last year said something like "I will drive against someone else like the drive against me." He amped it up a little bit. Does that take away from his skill?
Let's not forget also, that Michael Schumacher is the only driver in the history of F1 to have been disqualified from the world championship. He had deliberatly provoked a collision when he rammed Jacques Villeneuve's car at the last GP in 1997, in a repeat of 1994 (against D.Hill). He was stripped of all his points and lost his rank of 2nd in the championship for that year. No other driver incurred that penalty ever. The FIA was very lenient for not stripping him of his 5 victories that year, and banning him from F1. I think that a one year suspension at least would have been appropriate for that sort of behaviour.
Ah yes, back when the FIA handed out stiff penalties during the '90's. Unlike in recent years. 5 second penalties handed out for collisions. FIA is currently way too lenient. Hamilton was crashing into Massa on an almost monthly basis. And later some with team mate Rosberg.