Ferrari, one of the most legendary teams in F1 history, has seen several iconic drivers represent them over the years. However, Sporting Director Diego Loverno believes Michael Schumacher remains the greatest of them all.
Former champions Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel all drove for Ferrari but failed to replicate the success Schumacher had with the prancing horse. The German won five titles with Ferrari, but Loverno did not bring that up to measure the impact Schumacher had on the team.
On the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast, Loverno said, “What makes Michael on another level compared to everyone else in my experience is how genuine and how real his attitude was toward being part of a team.”
Todt: “Not everyone would have succeeded. 5 long years before winning the World Champion Title with Scuderia Ferrari. With 3 world championships played in the last race. Michael’s greatest strength is setting a target until it is met”.#KeepFightingMichael pic.twitter.com/apW4G1QP4b
— Michael Schumacher (@_MSchumacher) December 13, 2022
“Obviously, a driver is an athlete that wants to win but he never gave the impression that the team was not at the center of his project, at the center of his mind. The team being everyone, mechanics, and engineers.”
Loverno added that Schumacher never spoke ill of the team, even when it made blatant errors. While other drivers have shown glimpses of these qualities, they were never as pronounced as they were with Schumacher.
Schumacher joined Ferrari when the Maranello-based outfit was struggling and hadn’t won a championship for over a decade. He shuffled things around by instilling a winning mentality, and led an era of dominance that was unmatched until Lewis Hamilton rose to dominance in the 2010s.
Interestingly, the Briton now has the chance to do the same at Ferrari, which hasn’t won a championship since 2008.
Can Hamilton replicate Schumacher?
During his 12 years at Mercedes, Hamilton demonstrated a deep care for its staff, engineers, and mechanics—qualities that, according to Loverno, made Schumacher exceptional. However, there may be one aspect missing for Hamilton to fully replicate Schumacher’s impact when he moves to Ferrari in 2025.
When Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996, he had Jean Todt and Ross Brawn. With Todt’s leadership, Brawn’s vision, and the German driver’s skill, they were able to create a dream team.
Hamilton will join forces with the current Team Principal, Fred Vasseur. Although comparing Vasseur to Jean Todt might be premature, Vasseur has proven to be a valuable asset to Ferrari and has played a crucial role in the team’s resurgence.
To build a winning team, Hamilton would have preferred to work with Adrian Newey as Technical Director. He was linked to Ferrari, but unfortunately, the 65-year-old chose to move to Aston Martin instead. Nevertheless, Hamilton will have the support of Enrico Gualtieri and Loïc Serra—two renowned engineers who could help him achieve his ambition of an eighth World championship.
