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  1. #1
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    Can Hamilton reach Schumacher's benchmark record?



    Michael Schumacher stunned the F1 world when he claimed his 7th F1 driver titles to become the greatest and must successfully F1 driver of all time. His achievement was so incredulous that drivers of previous generation's proclamation of Fangio as the GOAT was swiftly reduced to muffled murmurs. A new GOAT was born and he appeared untouchable. I remember the commentaries only too well, it said "l don't think anyone would be able to touch this record l my life time". I always believed that the Schumacher record was an holy grail of F1 reserved for the fantasy of the coming generation.



    When Vettel racked up four world championships, hardened veterans of F1 racing murmured, "is he the promised one, can he reach seven titles". At the time Vettel was a fresh face with four drivers title under his belt. The stuff of dreams for many. Now, along comes Hamilton after what seemed like a doomed career at Mclaren and a decryed move to Mercedes that turned out to be an inspired move, a move that presented him with the car to rack up four more titles. Some 61 years since Juan Manuel Fangio became the first and only driver to win five F1 titles; except Schumacher, Hamilton after a hard fought 2018 season became a five time drivers world champion. A stuff of wild fantasy.



    We find ourselves in our live time, with the possibility of another driver within touching distance of the F1 holy grail of seven F1 driver's title. While we are still trying to properly process and digest the fact that a new five time world champion now exist in F1, we find ourselves forced to entertain the question of whether the Holy Grail of F1 is now attainable.

    The question therefore is, can Hamilton who is two titles away from the Schumacher Grail reach this very lofty achievement?
    Last edited by Nitrodaze; 15th November 2018 at 19:35.
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  2. #2
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    The car pecking order can suddenly change in F1 so regardless of how good a driver he is... I reckon 7 titles is probably out of his reach.

    We have very different outlooks, I dont place much value on the number of titles won or the GOAT moniker because unless its a one make series it doesnt really mean anything in itself.

    For me its just all about watching and appreciating really great driving/racing no matter whether they finish... first or last.

  3. Likes: Tazio (15th November 2018)
  4. #3
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    What Zico said. It's not about how many titles you get because the variables are too great between cars and if you don't have the right car at the right time you are lost (see Alonso for proof). It's how you get to those titles that counts.
    "Old roats am jake mit goats."
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  5. #4
    Senior Member Jag_Warrior's Avatar
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    For whatever reason. I can see him getting to six by 2020, or before the Mercedes juggernaut takes a pause, but I'm not sure about seven. It all depends on what Mercedes has going into 2021 (assuming he doesn't go on a trot and win the next two) and whether Lewis will even stick around past 2020 (I think that he will).
    "Every generation's memory is exactly as long as its own experience." --John Kenneth Galbraith

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jag_Warrior View Post
    For whatever reason. I can see him getting to six by 2020, or before the Mercedes juggernaut takes a pause, but I'm not sure about seven. It all depends on what Mercedes has going into 2021 (assuming he doesn't go on a trot and win the next two) and whether Lewis will even stick around past 2020 (I think that he will).
    Quite true,
    but you never know, anything is possible
    Last edited by Nitrodaze; 15th November 2018 at 09:51.
    Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.
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  7. #6
    Senior Member Jag_Warrior's Avatar
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    Cool

    I'm a Hammy fan, so I'd like to see him do it. I guess he was about 15 or 16 when I first became aware of him. So it's amazing to see him reach this level of success as the years have passed. Anyway, he seems to be drawn to the "coolness" of the cars as much as anything else. Who knows what they'll eventually end up with, but if the renderings are even close and they get the engine/power unit formula right, I have to believe that Lewis will stick around after this latest contract expires.

    A little off topic, but someone with Ferrari (Arrivabene?) said that the 2021 renderings reminded him of an old Champ car... he wasn't impressed. I got news for him: the old Champ cars were sexy beasts - clean and svelte, without too much aero crap hanging off them. And they could race nose to tail, so there's also that. So I'm hoping to see Hamilton (and Ocon ) taking the WDC and the WCC in a cool looking Merc in 2021. Maybe that'll be number 8 and breaking the 100 mark in wins.
    "Every generation's memory is exactly as long as its own experience." --John Kenneth Galbraith

  8. #7
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    Who cares about Schumacher's records? Hamilton IS already better than Schumacher. Schumacher's career in the 1990s was a joke. First it was tainted with a number of cheating scandals at Benetton (for using banned traction control, lowered car floor, and for removing the refueling valve in 1994) as well as for championship-deciding collisions in 1994 (when he was not punished) and 1997 (when he was punished).

    Once Schumacher became the alpha-male at Ferrari, he made sure that Ferrari did not hire anyone who could possibly come anywhere close to challenging him from within the team. So eventually Ferrari hired that useless Barrichello, and Schumacher run unopposed during his unprecedented five-time championship winning streak in 2000-2005.

    However, when Schumacher lost his alpha-male status and was put in the same team with Rosberg in 2010-2012, the myth of the best driver of all times quickly fell apart. Rosberg beat him in all three seasons. Having lost some time away from field can damage one's career, but there were many truly good drivers who managed to take some time off and then returned in such great form that it felt that they haven't missed a race (or season). Schumacher wasn't one of them.

    On the other hand, Hamilton has never been involved in such scandals, and his 2008, 2014, 2017, and 2018 champion titles were won under immense amount of pressure.
    Last edited by zako85; 16th November 2018 at 10:26.

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    Quote Originally Posted by zako85 View Post
    Who cares about Schumacher's records? Hamilton IS already better than Schumacher. Schumacher's career in the 1990s was a joke. First it was tainted with a number of cheating scandals at Benetton (for using banned traction control, lowered car floor, and for removing the refueling valve in 1994) as well as for championship-deciding collisions in 1994 (when he was not punished) and 1997 (when he was punished).

    Once Schumacher became the alpha-male at Ferrari, he made sure that Ferrari did not hire anyone who could possibly come anywhere close to challenging him from within the team. So eventually Ferrari hired that useless Barrichello, and Schumacher run unopposed during his unprecedented five-time championship winning streak in 2000-2005.

    However, when Schumacher lost his alpha-male status and was put in the same team with Rosberg in 2010-2012, the myth of the best driver of all times quickly fell apart. Rosberg beat him in all three seasons. Having lost some time away from field can damage one's career, but there were many truly good drivers who managed to take some time off and then returned in such great form that it felt that they haven't missed a race (or season). Schumacher wasn't one of them.

    On the other hand, Hamilton has never been involved in such scandals, and his 2008, 2014, 2017, and 2018 champion titles were won under immense amount of pressure.


    Yes... but meanwhile Hamiltons detractors will argue that he was just lucky and had the best car.

    Which side is right? Both and neither... It just becomes a rolling circular argument that never ends because it can be argued that the playing field wasnt level for a multitude of reasons... for either driver.

    Thats when you realise that we should all just try to get along and just enjoy the racing..

  10. Likes: Tazio (17th November 2018)
  11. #9
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    zako obviously can't put performances in context.

    As for Hamilton/ He'll be racing til he's 45, and doing so driving cars that are 1st or 2nd in the wcc and never below 3rd, so he will gain those records Schumacher set.

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    Had hamilton driven the redbull in 2010-2013 instead of vettel, he might have been 9 times champion.

    And had vettel switched to mercedes in 2014 he might have been 10 times world champion.

    Its al about luck and being in the right car at the right time.

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