DC certain Hamilton is Schumacher’s equal

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Michael Schumacher Lewis Hamilton PA

Being “positively dissatisfied” is what drove Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton to their seven World Championships apiece.

There is no doubt in David Coulthard’s mind that Lewis Hamilton is just as good as Michael Schumacher was at his peak.

Hamilton won his seventh World Championship at the Turkish Grand Prix, bringing him level with Schumacher’s record tally. Earlier in the season, he also surpassed the German’s number of race wins.

Many claim that he has only achieved as much as Schumacher because he’s had such a dominant car, but Coulthard, who raced against both of them, disagrees.

“There is no question that if Michael was still racing today, at his prime, he would be staring in the eyes of his equal,” Coulthard said as per Stats Perform News.

“Because I think Michael is exceptional and I think Lewis is exceptional. And I think the way that he won his championship in Istanbul was the perfect way to show how good he is.

“Coming from sixth on the grid, in very difficult conditions and to win by what was quite a big margin in the end.

“So there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that he is the real deal and not only is he one of the best drivers of his generation, arguably he is one of the best drivers in the history of the sport.”

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Michael-Schumacher-PA

The team that Schumacher spent his best years at, Ferrari, has had its worst season in a long time this year, failing to come close to winning a race.

Even so, Coulthard has no doubts that the Italian team will be back at the top sooner rather than later.

“It is obviously very disappointing this year for Ferrari fans around the world, and of course very disappointing for Ferrari themselves,” he added.

“There has been a clarification on the engine which means that they haven’t been able to extract the same performance. But in Charles Leclerc they have an exceptional young driver, they have got Carlos [Sainz] coming there.

“What I think is actually a bit confusing is the drop-off in performance of Sebastian Vettel, which you just wouldn’t expect from a driver of that quality.

“But it is what it is, Ferrari will be back in the future, next year’s regulations are small changes, but they could be significant in terms of what happens around the rear of the car, aerodynamically.

“I believe Ferrari have a new engine in development which should hopefully bring them forward. So in the same way that they were dominant for a period with Michael [Schumacher], and then Red Bull was dominant, now Mercedes are dominant – every cycle comes to an end, and Ferrari will be back.”

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