Hamilton and Schumacher have crossed paths in and out of Formula 1 over the years | Formula 1

In this special, the give recalls the different moments when Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher crossed paths. Formula 1 inside and out. Check it!

Consecrated against aspirant

The first meeting between the two speed geniuses was not in Formula 1, but in the karting world championship. That’s it! In 2001, the newly crowned four-time champion Schumi was invited to take part on the stage in Kerpen (Germany), where Michael had started his career. Hamilton, who was only 16 at the time, was ready to transition from go-karts to race cars.

Schumacher was the fastest of all in training before qualifying, the heats and the final. The riders were divided into two groups in qualifying, and Schumi entered in the rain, which sent the German to 22nd place. In an excellent recovery race, the German was sixth and eighth in the first race, while Hamilton was second . In the second heat, Schumacher was in 15th place, with Hamilton in 26th.

In the third, Schumacher made a massive climb and took seventh place at the end of the first lap, overtaking one Nico Rosberg, Hamilton’s karting partner and future F1 rival. Midway through the heat, Schumi was fourth, Rosberg sixth, while Hamilton was ninth. In the end, Franck Perera and Maro Ardigo touched; the first stayed on the gravel, while the second crossed in third, ahead of Schumi and Rosberg. Hamilton was the seventh. Then Ardigo was excluded, which saw Schumacher move up to second place, with Rosberg in third place and Hamilton in sixth.

Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut in 2007, just after Schumacher retired for the first time. In 2010, the German decided to return to racing and chose Mercedes, while the English, already world champion, remained at McLaren. With two competitive cars, it was only natural that the two would find themselves in disputes on the track. And that happened in just four races …

At the Chinese GP, the two had a fierce race for fifth place. After three rounds of fighting, getting there, slowing down and daring, Hamilton won the fight. The Englishman finished second, tenth.

In 2011, at the Italian GP, ​​the two had the fiercest race in Formula 1. With little wing camber, Schumacher was quicker on the Monza straights, while Hamilton, despite having a better balance of his McLaren, he had trouble doing it. overtaking.

The most tense moment of the fight for third place was on lap 16, when Schumacher threw Hamilton onto the Curva Grande turf. The Englishman lost speed and was also overtaken by his teammate Jenson Button.

After the tire change, Hamilton attacked Schumacher again and this time he managed to advance the approach to the Ascari Variation without taking a sharp turn in the dispute for fourth place.

Finally, Hamilton crossed the finish line in fourth place, 15 seconds ahead of Schumacher, who, in a year past his and Mercedes himself, had his second best result of the entire season.

But we can say that Schumacher, yes, got the best out of a direct duel with Hamilton on the track: at the 2012 British GP, the German took advantage of the tires in better condition and started in the last laps of the race.

Approaching Brooklands, the Mercedes driver passed easily and secured seventh position, with Hamilton seven seconds behind.

Interestingly, when Schumacher decided to resign permanently, three-time champion Niki Lauda, ​​then non-executive chairman of Mercedes, sought out Hamilton for the vacancy. Although McLaren was in a better moment at the time, the Englishman opted for the partnership with the German team and began the most successful phase of his career.

The avalanche of victories and titles at Mercedes caused Hamilton to begin to threaten Schumacher’s records. An important milestone was when the Englishman broke the German’s first major record in pole positions. In a rainy qualifying for the Italian GP, ​​Lewis shone and took pole 69. Then, Lewis broke podium records, kilometers in the lead …