Nov.12 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher has challenged Damon Hill’s suggestion that Ferrari should make Lewis Hamilton its clear number 1 driver, arguing that the seven time world champion has never learned how to lead a Formula 1 team.
Hill believes Ferrari must end the growing tensions between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc by putting its full weight behind the Briton for 2027.
“They have invested all this in Lewis, they’ve got him on board, he is a massive name in the sport,” the 1996 world champion told Sky.
“I think it makes sense to me to put all your eggs behind Lewis.”
Hill believes Hamilton has rebuilt himself after his difficult first season at Ferrari and deserves the opportunity to fight for an eighth title.
“He is an extraordinary individual,” he said.
“I think we need to settle this in the team because there’s a political problem in that team. For me, it seems like there’s factions within the team that are shooting for one side or the other.”
But Schumacher, already critical of Hamilton’s recent behaviour towards Leclerc, believes the Briton lacks the leadership qualities demonstrated by his brother Michael at Ferrari.
“Hamilton never learned how to lead a team, not under Toto Wolff and not under Ron Dennis,” Schumacher told Sky Deutschland.
“That was never his job anyway. He just had to get in the car and drive as fast as possible.”
Schumacher suggested Hamilton’s career had made him “quite egotistical,” contrasting him with Max Verstappen, who takes a much greater interest in the technical details of his car.
“Max is also from the generation that grew up with his father, who worked on cars himself, just like it was with me and my brother,” he said.
“I think that’s the big difference.”
Schumacher even suggested a future partnership between Verstappen and Wolff at Mercedes could prove difficult because both men would want significant influence.
“Mercedes is already a big team. If someone like Max went there now, I don’t think they’d be too keen on that,” he said.
“At Ferrari, I think they’re used to a driver being able to make demands, but in my opinion that still comes from Michael, from what he left behind there.”