27 December 2023 , 10:00
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Lewis Hamilton has described Michael Schumacher as "a full-on great racer" nearly a decade on from the harrowing skiing incident that left the F1 icon with life-changing injuries.
The two drivers currently share the most amount of F1 title wins with seven. They competed against each other for three years from 2010-12 when Schumacher came out of retirement, before Hamilton replaced him at Mercedes in time for the 2013 campaign.
And the British driver has now featured in a current documentary series in Germany, titled Being Michael Schumacher. The episodes review the life and career of the 54-year-old, who continues to be treated at his family home in Switzerland with his family opting to keep his condition private.
Schumacher was the winner of the fatal San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, when Ayrton Senna was killed in a racing incident. And Hamilton referenced that poignant fact when speaking in the documentary about the ability of Schumacher.
“A full out great racer,” said Hamilton, when describing the ex-Ferrari driver. “He won the race when Ayrton died. (He was just) winning everything!”
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This Friday, December 29, will mark 10 years to the day when Schumacher, skiing with then 14-year-old son Mick, had a skiing accident in Meribel on the French Alps. He subsequently underwent two emergency procedures and spent three months in a medically induced coma, before returning to Lausanne.
Hamilton and Schumacher won F1 titles with different teams (Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton the GOAT of F1? Comment below.
He has not been seen in public since, with wife Corinna opting not to reveal details of his ongoing treatment and recovery. But brother Ralf recently made an admission that things were unlikely to be the same again for his elder sibling, despite him receiving expert round-the clock care.
"I miss the Michael of the old days," he told German outlet Bild via the Daily Mail. "Life is unfair from time to time. Michael was very lucky throughout his life. But then there was this tragic accident."
Michael's son Mick is now employed by the same team as Hamilton, serving as a reserve driver to him at the Silver Arrows. That followed him spending two seasons at Haas, but he was released at the end of the 2022 campaign.