Ross Brawn states why even Lewis Hamilton is not ‘above’ Michael Schumacher

Ross Brawn is in the rare position of having worked with the only seven-time Formula 1 champions in Michael Schumacher plus Lewis Hamilton and is clear on who is the best.

The German and the Briton are the most successful drivers to ever grace the Formula 1 grid to date. Schumacher set a new standard for what it meant to be an F1 driver en route to his titles with Benetton and Ferrari, whilst Hamilton enjoyed success at McLaren and Mercedes.

Hamilton will also now look to surpass Schumacher and become the first eight-time drivers’ champion with Ferrari having joined the Scuderia ahead of the 2025 season. It is the second time that their careers have crossed as Hamilton replaced Schumacher at Mercedes in 2013.

Ross Brawn explains why ‘no one’ including Lewis Hamilton is better than Michael Schumacher

Schumacher rewrote the book on what success in Formula 1 meant from 1991 to 2006, then briefly returned from 2010-12 with Mercedes to help lead the team under Brawn. Mercedes signing Hamilton ahead of the 2013 season then saw Brawn work with the Briton for a term.

Brawn left Mercedes just before the start of their dominance with Hamilton, with the Silver Arrows going on to win eight constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles over the first eight years of the V6 turbo-hybrid era. Hamilton won six of those drivers’ titles, as well.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari

Schumacher ensured Brawn’s CV is one of the most prestigious in F1 history, though, having won two drivers’ titles at Benetton and five at Ferrari with the legendary technical and team director. How Schumacher worked also helps to set him aside from Hamilton as the greatest.

“Such a meeting of people of this standard, with a driver as exceptional as Michael, happens very rarely. No more than once a decade,” Brawn told Auto Hebdo.

“I worked with Lewis, who is another incredibly fast and talented driver, but with a totally different approach. A notoriety assumed and sought, a lifestyle in the fast line the opposite of the tranquillity sought by Michael.

“But deep down there was the same commitment, talent and desire. Just the approach was different. For me, having contributed to the conquest of each of his seven world titles was just exceptional. There is no one above Michael.”

Lewis Hamilton has the better Formula 1 career than Michael Schumacher by the numbers

By the numbers, Hamilton has Schumacher beat as the most successful Formula 1 driver in history. Were it not for Michael Masi manipulating the finish of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton would even already be an eight-time drivers’ champion instead of his seven.

Hamilton seized the records away from Schumacher for Grand Prix wins, pole positions and podium finishes. He also edges the German’s career tallies for percent of pole positions and podiums by Grand Prix entries, although the Briton marginally loses out for Grand Prix wins.

The record for the longest interval between taking a Grand Prix win also sits with Hamilton, having scored his first win for McLaren at the 2007 Canadian GP and his last (as of the time of writing) for Mercedes at the 2024 Belgian GP – a gap of 17 years, one month and 18 days.

But stats do not take into account the inferior reliability in Formula 1 through Schumacher’s career with Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari, plus spending three seasons with Mercedes when they were no more than a midfield team. Hamilton has always challenged at the front in F1.