Will Schumacher's Race Win and WDC records be broken?

[Just_a_fan]

That's why %wins and %poles is a better indicator in some ways.

Of course, there is also the point that being able to maintain winning form over a 20 race season is harder than over an 8 race season.

The reality is that one can't compare eras - the 50s was different to the 60s, and the 70s different again. The 80s and 90s were closer too each other. Then this century is again a separate thing.

Having said all of that, winning 70+ races is still impressive.

[Manoah2u]

I'd like to add to that the fact that though Hamilton still had the privilidge of free testing before his entry into F1, that got quickly scrapped during his F1 career,
whilst the others, including very much Schumacher, had all year round free testing time. Which was a sure benefit, no doubt.

That said, nowadays, drivers on the other side get lots of benefit from simulations, computer calculations, and help from team drivers that test various scenarios and setups in simulators.
offcourse back then there were also test drivers to get information from.

Personally i am most impressed with how Hamilton especially this year was so strong as it's not the first time in history we saw him starting slacking and get distracted, and results went down. still on a pretty impressive form, but not in bloodform like he has been especially the last 2/3 of this season.

[TAG]

That's what's interesting about Hamilton's achievements is that even if you take out the numbers totals and simply go by percentages, nothing changes pretty much for him. The reality is that in the last 10 years of the sport Hamilton and Vettel have won over 55% of all the races. With Vettel being on the podium 50% of the time and Hamilton being on the podium 58% of the time. Looking merely at that you can see why there's 9 championships between them.

You need the car, but you also need consistency and a teammate that you can dominate in order to put up big numbers I guess the one thing that separates one from the other is Hamilton having raced with 3 championship winning drivers in their prime which again perhaps shows why he's become a complete item.

[Just_a_fan]

Wins% - 4th of all time* behind Fangio, Ascari, Clark. Fangio's record won't ever be beaten unless someone wins big in their rookie year and then retires! Hamilton could catch Clark but that will be unlikely. Ascari's too far away to catch.

Poles% - 5th of all time behind Fangio, Clark, Ascari, Senna. He could catch Senna but probably won't. Won't catch the others.

Fastest laps% - not even in the top ten but that is partly down to the nature of the current "coast to save" rules. Still has 41 fastest laps in 228 races, however, which is 4th equal in terms of numbers of fast laps.

Podiums% - 3rd of all time and only half a % behind the second place man. Fangio at the top, of course. Interestingly, three of the top five are from the 1950s. The other man is Prost in 5th.

Points finish % - Top man ahead of Vettel and Fangio. Helped by modern reliable machinery, of course, but you still need to bring it home.

Titles% - second to Fangio. Fangio 5 titles in 8 seasons - 62.5%, Hamilton - 45%, Schumacher - 44% (before his Merc years), 39% with the Merc years, Prost and Stewart - 33%, Senna - 30%

Currently the only F1 driver in history to win at least one race in every season competed.

All in all, not bad figures really and definitely put him up there in the F1 Pantheon.

*Ignoring a couple of US drivers who specialised in the Indy 500 back when it was part of the championship and only did that race and did so successfully.

[PlatinumZealot]

Leclerc is going to be a big Hamper on Vettels stats next year. Even with Ferrari allowing drivers to race until round eight (or whatever point they decide their number one) Lerclerc will be stealing poles and wins.

[Jolle]

I think Hamilton can break the two most important records from Schumacher, as long as he got the wheels to do it. The Mercedes team at the moment is build around him like Ferrari at Schumachers time. He hasn't got anything to fear from within the team. In contrast, Ferrari, who was building the whole team around Vettel, changed their strategy by putting a young hungry fighter next to their main man next year. Even if Ferrari builds the best car next year, they are going to steal points and wins from each other plus, depending on Lecrec's development, I can't see Vettel staying after his current contract (which would mean a max of two championships).

Two more seasons of this Mercedes/Hamilton and he's got them... but all winning streaks come to an end at one point....

Let's say, next year, Hamilton wins his "normal" ten GP's, Vettel takes five again, Leclerc on the rise with two and Verstappen has a few non-DNF's with the Honda to win three and Gasly takes one. Then in 2020 they all share about the same GP's, seven for each brand, with Hamilton taking all the Mercedes wins. that would bring him unto 90. so close...

[f1316]

Whilst I think wins is quite possible and championships has a shot of at least being equal, if we think back to Schumacher’s career, you can see how quickly things can change.

When he won his seventh championship, midway through a season, did anyone think he wouldn’t win another?

Suddenly Alonso and Renault emerge - and to a lesser, but perhaps more meaningful extent given his future role at Ferrari, Kimi at McLaren - and Schumacher, although winning a few more races and nearly a championship in 2006, retires without a further championship.

So it’s not beyond my imagination that the Honda engine takes a leap next year, Max dominates with Lewis and Seb fighting over the scraps, and a similar thing happens to Hamilton.

[djones]

Unlike any other top level driver I can think of, Hamilton's life is racing. He has no kids, no wife and his single purpose is racing a car.

Because of that I can see him being in F1 a long time, at minimum another 7 years to take him to 40.

Next year Ferrari will implode with having LeClerc and the Honda engine will be too unreliable for Redbull to sustain a season long challenge, even if they have a faster car.

Add in the fact the new regs apparently suite the low rake Mercedes philosophy and he basically has 6 championships in the bag.

[Big Tea]

If Liberty do go through with 25 or more races per season the number of wins, poles and points will lose all meaning quite soon.
Not sure how it would affect the ease or otherwise of winning more championships though.

This last few decades Pole has been so important as overtaking and tyres have been as they are, if things change Pole may not have the importance it now does, so this may be the hardest target apart from absolute numbers of championships, which I think will not be unobtainable as drivers now seem to be starting at a younger age and often soon into a capable car rather than being mid 20's by the time the 'apprenticeship' has been done at the back of the field.

[Just_a_fan]

Unlike any other top level driver I can think of, Hamilton's life is racing. He has no kids, no wife and his single purpose is racing a car.

He doesn't have a wife and kids but he certainly fills his time with non-racing stuff when not "at work". Funnily enough, one of the things people moan about with Hamilton is that he jet sets hither and yon in between races. Guy can't catch a break...

[Manoah2u]

I've just read an article on a dutch f1 media outlet, which claims hamilton states he wants to become the biggest ever.
so i'd be inclined to say; that's Ham going for Schumi's stats and going for those crowns.

[NathanOlder]

I've just read an article on a dutch f1 media outlet, which claims hamilton states he wants to become the biggest ever.
so i'd be inclined to say; that's Ham going for Schumi's stats and going for those crowns.

But but but.... The haters say he will retire by 2016 and take up rap music! How can this be!

[adrianjordan]

Unlike any other top level driver I can think of, Hamilton's life is racing. He has no kids, no wife and his single purpose is racing a car.

He doesn't have a wife and kids but he certainly fills his time with non-racing stuff when not "at work". Funnily enough, one of the things people moan about with Hamilton is that he jet sets hither and yon in between races. Guy can't catch a break...

I think that Mercedes are clever enough to realise that allowing Lewis to do this stuff actually increases his performance and increases the chances of him staying in F1 for a few more years.

And if he has said that he wants to be the greatest, biggest or something like that, it totally fits with the mentality you see in a lot of hip-hop stars, so I could see that being true. Doesn't Lewis also rate Muhammad Ali as one of his heros too?

[Manoah2u]

[TAG]

With Mercede's record so far in 2019, you have the think that Hamilton's 6th WDC is looming and there's surely a couple more race wins for him this year given that it's 7 out of first 10... Figured I'd dust off this thread, but I have to say that I'm surprised at myself for dusting it off mid season.

I still think the 91 victories will fall, the 8 titles though, that's hella tough.