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“Not a surprise he’s that successful”: When Michael Schumacher Lewis Hamilton in rookie F1 season with McLaren

Somin Bhattacharjee
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https://thesportsrush.com/f1-news-at-14-george-russell-made-extreme-academic-sacrifice-to-be-16-million-f1-star/

Michael Schumacher retired from F1 at the end of the 2006 season as a seven-time World Champion. The very next season, a young rookie named Lewis Hamilton made his debut with McLaren and took the sport by storm. Hamilton went on to compete for the Title in his very first year, shocking the entire F1 community and teammate Fernando Alonso in particular.

In the end, Hamilton lost out on the Title by a solitary point and it went in favor of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. However, his record-breaking rookie campaign set the stage for what was about to be a glittering career for the Stevenage-born driver. His performances earned him plenty of plaudits and among them was Schumacher.

2007 was his first season away from F1 as a driver, but he kept a close eye on Hamilton. In an interview with Sky, the German driver called Hamilton a ‘very talented driver’ and admitted that he wasn’t surprised about his meteoric rise to the top.

Also read: “He won world championships”: George Russell reveals why his brother couldn’t become F1 driver despite having talent

Michael Schumacher closely followed Lewis Hamilton’s GP2 season

Hamilton took part in the GP2 season in 2006 and won it in his first attempt. After a dominant Championship season, a spot opened up at McLaren in F1 and the Woking-based squad signed him up immediately.

“Not of a surprise, he’s that successful,” Schumacher said about Hamilton. “Because seeing his GP2 season last season. I watched and followed the season closely because the team manager (at Hamilton’s team ART), Nicholas Todt, is obviously very closely related to us.”

Schumacher went on to say that he met a young Hamilton in Turkey in 2006 where they had a quick chat.

“This was actually a tremendous race that he did over there,” he continued. “So for me, it’s not a surprise. He just shows up the way he’s doing. It’s a surprise he does it that consistently. But, we cross fingers that he keeps it up.”

Also read: At 14 George Russell made extreme academic sacrifice to be $16 million F1 star

Hamilton lived up to Schumacher’s expectations

Schumacher hoped that Hamilton lived up to his promise and saying that he did would be an understatement. The 37-year-old stands at the top of the F1 pedestal today, having smashed all records in his way. He has the most number of race wins, pole positions and fastest laps of any driver in history.

In terms of World Championships, he is sharing the stage with Michael Schumacher himself. Both of them have seven Titles to their name. Hamilton, however, is looking to break the record and win his eighth World Title before he retires from F1.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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