Todt: Schumi’s fight put records into proportion

Michelle Foster
Lewis Hamilton Michael Schumacher

Romain Grosjean says Lewis Hamilton didn't have "dubious moments" on way to seven titles like Michael Schumacher did.

Fighting to recover from a serious brain injury, Jean Todt says Michael Schumacher’s ongoing fight puts his title record into “proportion”.

This season Lewis Hamilton is chasing Schumacher’s records, and not just the one for the most World titles.

Last Sunday at the Hungaroring, the Mercedes driver equalled Schumcher’s record for the most victories at a single grand prix, eighth, when he romped unchallenged to the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Later this year, potentially on Italian soil, the British driver could equal Schumacher’s record of 91 wins before breaking it a week later. Hamilton’s Hungarian GP win was his 85th.

If all that goes to plan for Hamilton, he could go onto match Schumacher’s seven Drivers’ Championship titles.

Todt, who was on hand for five of those with Schumchacher at Ferrari, believes the 35-year-old can do it.

“I know it can happen that Lewis beats Michael’s record as the most-titled driver in history,” he told the Daily Mail.

“All the ingredients are there with Mercedes for him to do that. I honestly don’t mind.

“I remember in 2000 when I was on the podium in Suzuka with Michael after he won his first title with Ferrari and I said to him that our lives would never be the same again.

“We had achieved all we wanted.”

Schumacher retired from Formula 1 and Ferrari at the end of the 2006 season before returning to the sport with Mercedes in 2010.

After three seasons with the Brackley team and a solitary podium, he again retired, this time for good.

A year later the German suffered a severe brain injury in a skiing accident, spending months in a medically induced coma.

He left hospital in September 2014 to receive private medical treatment at his home with his family saying very little about his conditions, choosing to keep it private.

Todt says Schumacher’s fight to recover puts things like World Championship records into perspective.

“After an accident like the one Michael has had, does it matter whether Lewis has won more?

“It is a question of proportion.

“We are all lucky in Formula One when you see what is going on in the world, and not just with the monster that is Covid-19.”

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