It was the end of an era when Michael Schumacher first drew the curtains on his F1 career in 2006. That also marked the start of another era, which started with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton in F1 in 2007. It was a loss for the Briton, as he did not get to race against the Ferrari great. That regret was short-lived as Schumacher came back from retirement and drove for Mercedes from 2010 to 2012.
Hamilton later replaced Schumacher to drive for the Silver Arrows and added six titles to his kitty. That made them the joint holders of the record seven world championships in F1. Owing to this status, it was only befitting for the Briton to write the foreword for the upcoming book on the German’s life — World Championship Cars: Michael Schumacher.
In his address, Hamilton heaped praise on his joint record holder. However, it was not Schumacher’s race craft that Hamilton highlighted. It was rather Schumacher’s familial values, which Hamilton hailed as his bigger legacy over his racing records.
“When it comes to Michael’s legacy, for me he is first and foremost a person and less a competitor. It’s not about titles or trophies, it’s about the family he and Corinna [Schumacher’s wife] built together,” Hamilton wrote. “Her greatness, humility, and sincerity say more about Michael’s values than I ever could,” he added.
Love how Mick and Lewis get along! Quite curious on what Mick was telling to LewLew
credits: mercedesamgf1 (instagram) pic.twitter.com/0MULYyXC7X
— lily (@_itsnotlily) March 25, 2023
Schumacher, ever since his skiing accident in December 2013, has stayed away from the public eye. The life-altering injuries changed his life and those around him.
Schumacher’s wife Corinna is especially protective of him, keeping the media’s scrutiny on their life under a strict check. All this while, their son Mick Schumacher has been working with Hamilton at Mercedes.
Hamilton’s role in the life of Schumacher’s kids
Mick drove for the Haas F1 team for two years. While his first season with the American outfit turned out to be a successful one, the second one went from bad to worse, owing to his frequent crashes.
Ever since his sacking in 2022, Mick worked with Mercedes as their reserve driver. That made his role entwine with Hamilton’s, who has been driving for the team for over a decade.
In the foreword, Hamilton recalled feeling “lucky” to meet Michael’s daughter Gina, who is a professional equestrian, a passion she picked from her mother. She recently married her long-time boyfriend Iain Bethke.
As for Hamilton, he is once again preparing to follow in Schumacher’s footsteps. The Briton will move to Ferrari in 2025 and strive to win at least one championship with the outfit.
