The Mercedes boss compared Hamilton to Michael Schumacher. He has qualities I’ve never seen before, he says

Lewis Hamilton is undoubtedly one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers and greatest legends. The Mercedes boss even compared him to Michael Schumacher. What exactly did Toto Wolff say about the seven-time British champion?

We wrote about Lewis Hamilton’s season a few days ago. But briefly – for the first time in his 16-year F1 career he found himself in a situation where he did not win a single race. And the final sixth place in the championship is also his worst result to date.

The 37-year-old finished the 2022 season in the Drivers’ Championship in sixth place with 240 points, without a single win and with nine podium finishes.

It should be noted that Mercedes did not have a dazzling season this year, struggling badly with its cars, especially in the first half of the season.

Although George Russell was able to regularly run in the top five drivers, Mercedes was indeed experiencing significant time losses.

That’s also why, in a recent Beyond the Grid podcast, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff praised his driver for his “truly admirable” approach to the setbacks in 2022, comparing him to Michael Schumacher.

Wolff’s statement

This is how Wolff responded to the question of how difficult the 2022 season must have been for Hamilton. “It was extremely difficult for him because we gave him a car that he was not able to win with,” Wolff said on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“On top of that, the drivers had a car that was unpredictable, unstable, sometimes good, sometimes not – something that was impossible to work with and develop. But the way he came through the season as a person is really admirable. There were times when the team felt down because of poor performances, and he picked these people up and motivated them,” explained the Mercedes boss.

“These are managerial qualities that I have never seen in a professional sportsman before. It’s maybe a bit like Michael used to be, or I remember Tom Brady (American football player – ed.), that you become something more than just a player or just a pilot. You’re an emotional part of the team, and he definitely is,” he added.

Wolff then concluded by saying that drivers simply come in, get paid and leave for the next best opportunity. But he said that’s the big difference, Hamilton has been with Mercedes for ten years and is an integral part of the team.

Moreover, Hamilton is expected to be a member of the team next year as he seeks a record eighth world championship title.

Whether he will leave Mercedes after the 2023 season or accept another role is the big question at the moment. However, if he does manage to achieve the overall championship next year, it is very likely that he will want to end his career on a high.

F1, Beyond the Grid