Lewis Hamilton has undoubtedly established himself as one of the best drivers of all time with his magnificent performances over the years. The 38-year-old is not only tied with the legendary Michael Schumacher with seven championships to his name but has also clinched the most wins (103) and pole positions (103).
Even though Hamilton has registered such staggering records, former Red Bull driver, David Coulthard, stated in February 2020 that he did not consider the 38-year-old in the same league as Schumacher. However, Coulthard did change his stance after Hamilton won a record-matching seventh title at the end of the 2020 season.
Coulthard once stated Hamilton isn’t at the level of Schumacher
While speaking to Sportsmail (as quoted by express.co.uk), David Coulthard said in February 2020 that he did not believe that Lewis Hamilton would dominate in the years to come. The 52-year-old made these remarks as he believed that Hamilton was not very dominant in 2019.
While the 38-year-old did win his sixth title in 2019, he was defeated on some occasions by not only his then-Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas but also by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. However, Hamilton did end up recording a staggering 11 wins that year and finished almost 100 points clear of Bottas in the championship.
Coulthard then stated that while he would like Hamilton to break the record, it would not change much for him. “It doesn’t change anything in the history books if Hamilton does. We would certainly keep referring to Michael,” he explained. However, Coulthard did change his stance in November 2020 when Hamilton clinched his seventh title.
“There is no question that if Michael was still racing today, at his prime, he would be staring in the eyes of his equal,” the 52-year-old explained. Coulthard’s praise for Hamilton did not end there as he added that not only is the 38-year-old one of the best drivers of his generation but also arguably in the history of the sport.
Among all the records that Hamilton currently holds, the one record that he would perhaps want all to himself is the number of championships. If the Briton were to win another title in the rest of his career, he would hold the record all to himself.
Lewis Hamilton secures fantastic podium finish in Australia
After a disappointing few opening races, Mercedes finally seemed to have produced a fantastic comeback in Australia. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton began the weekend by qualifying in second and third respectively, just behind the Red Bull of reigning champion Max Verstappen.
While Russell did retire in the race due to a power unit issue, he did show incredible potential as well, having led the race on one occasion. As for Hamilton, he had his best race finish in the 2023 season as he finished a fantastic second, just behind Verstappen.
Consequently of Hamilton’s podium finish, he now finds himself fourth in the championship with 38 points. He is seven points behind double world champion Fernando Alonso and 24 points behind championship leader Verstappen.
