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Toto Wolff chooses Michael Schumacher over Lewis Hamilton as best F1 driver of all time

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Toto Wolff chooses Michael Schumacher over Lewis Hamilton as best F1 driver of all time

Since the start of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014, Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton have been dominant in F1. Up until 2021, they won every single constructors’ title, and Hamilton won six drivers’ titles. The 37-year-old became an all-time great by breaking almost every single record possible during his time at Mercedes.

However, team principal Toto Wolff seems to think that Hamilton’s predecessor on the team is a better F1 driver. Before the Briton traveled to Brackley, the legendary Michael Schumacher was driving for Mercedes. He came out of retirement in 2010 to help the team find its feet, and Wolff got very close to him.

The one record Hamilton hasn’t managed to break yet is that of Schumacher’s seven Title wins. Hamilton himself is also at seven as he looks to reach eight in 2023. Wolff, however, feels that Schumacher is indeed the best of all time.

Also read: “Sebastian Vettel was absolutely distraught after Jenson Button beat him” – Adrian Newey recalls how 4-time World Champion learnt a lesson after Canadian GP loss

Toto Wolff says Michael Schumacher is the best of all time over Lewis Hamilton

While shooting an interactive video of himself, Wolff revealed who he thought the best in F1 was. It was a sticker that was placed over Wolff’s head and the caption read, ‘Which F1 driver am I?’

A random list of F1 drivers were being generated and when it finally landed on Schumacher’s name, he seemed very pleased with it.

“Michael Schumacher, the best of all time,” Wolff said.

Also read: Family of Ayrton Senna once tried to talk him out of his future $200 million racing career

Mercedes W14 will be full of surprises, says Wolff

2022 was a very underwhelming year for Mercedes. After eight years of being the strongest team on the grid, Red Bull and Ferrari had finally overtaken them in terms of performance. They ended up finishing P3 last year, which was a hugely disappointing outcome according to Wolff.

While the Silver Arrows aren’t particularly confident about winning the Championship again in 2023, they definitely feel that their car will be better than the W13. The W13 was a car that wasn’t well liked by Mercedes fans, and even Hamilton admitted that he won’t miss driving it.

“It’s full of surprises,” Wolff said about the W14. “The last time I saw it I thought: ‘Oh, this looks the same as the W13’ but here’s hoping it’s not the same. Our car fundamentally changed mid-year. We changed the concept but we couldn’t see anything on the bodywork.”

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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