Lewis Hamilton told what he ‘can’t do’ that Michael Schumacher could ahead of joining Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has faced comparison to Michael Schumacher throughout his Formula 1 career.

Hamilton and Schumacher are both seven-time world champions and have dominated F1 at different points.

Mercedes brought in Hamilton to replace the experienced German in 2013 after he had helped launched the car giant’s Formula 1 team alongside Nico Rosberg.

Although he never hit the heights of his time at Ferrari, there were flashes of the brilliance that made Schumacher the racing hero of a generation of F1 fans.

Hamilton has had the same impact at Mercedes as Schumacher did at Ferrari and now he’s finally following in the German’s footsteps.

The 2025 campaign will finally see the 39-year-old don the famous red racing overalls as he seeks a record eighth championship.

Ferrari are going to take a risk with Hamilton’s next car, and Ralf Schumacher believes that the Brit will never be able to what his brother achieved with the Scuderia.

In an interview with Sport1, Schumacher explained that his brother was ‘perfect’ when it came to developing a car with his engineers, but doesn’t think Hamilton is capable of this same feat.

Lewis Hamilton told he can’t develop a car at Ferrari like Michael Schumacher did

Asked what’s different between Schumacher and Hamilton, Ralf Schumacher said: “The biggest difference is that, among many other qualities, Michael was able to work with the engineers to develop a car that was perfect for his driving style.

“Lewis can’t do that. He’s never been able to do that if you listen carefully to what the Mercedes engineers say.

“Toto Wolff has stressed more than once that a driver should step on the gas and the engineers should develop.

“But he also said this because his drivers were apparently not capable of providing the right input.

READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher explains why Michael Schumacher will always be ‘light years’ ahead of Lewis Hamilton

“Michael was completely different. He always gave his confidants like Ross Brawn and Jean Todt the direction.

“For Lewis, that makes things even more difficult: because Charles Leclerc is the top dog. Everyone in the team knows him.

“For Lewis, everything at Ferrari is new. In addition, Michael came to Ferrari as the current world champion and was much younger. Neither of these is the case for Lewis.”

How Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 careers compare

When it comes to judging who the best F1 driver of all time is, Schumacher and Hamilton are always in the conversation.

They both immediately shone when they entered the sport, with Hamilton battling Alonso in 2007 for the championship before they were both pipped by Kimi Raikkonen.

Schumacher’s debut weekend at Spa for Jordan was so impressive that he was signed by Benetton for the following race.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

The pair both won their first championships before joining the team that cemented their legacy.

However, Hamilton will hope that his final career move in F1 doesn’t mirror Schumacher’s when he raced for Mercedes.

He’s not taken the same time out as the German did which should mean he’s much sharper and Ferrari are already more competitive than Mercedes were.

The question is whether Hamilton can beat new teammate Charles Leclerc, as if he’s able to best the Monegasque driver, then he may be in a very strong position to challenge for another championship.