Before the 2021 heartbreak, the biggest setback Lewis Hamilton suffered in his career was losing the championship against his then-teammate Nico Rosberg. The 2016 championship season was full of contention, excitement, and drama. However, little did we know, Michael Schumacher played a part in Rosberg’s title-winning charge in 2016.
Speaking in an exclusive on the High-Performance YouTube channel, Williams boss James Vowles made this revelation about Schumacher’s influence on Rosberg and inadvertently on the 2016 championship. He revealed how his time with the German seven-time champion at Mercedes changed Rosberg’s life and how he beat Hamilton a few years later.
Vowles said, “So he would bring everyone on the journey and lead everyone on the journey. He would squeeze himself every millisecond he had. He would work as late as he needed to, every hour he needed to, that was how he operated.”
Vowles revealed that this is the mentality that even Rosberg picked up. “Nico learned a tremendous amount from him [Michael Schumacher]. It formed the Nico that then became a world champion ultimately which is squeeze everything out of you can at the cost of everything else.” Which, even the host points out, made him retire right after winning the championship.
Despite the toll, Rosberg achieved his goal, which makes him the GOAT, as he jokingly admitted. Jokes apart, this mentality was truly a gift from Schumacher and Rosberg. This mentality of Schumacher was contagious and evident to all, as even Rosberg pointed out while comparing his two seven-time world champion teammates.
Nico Rosberg reveals the difference between Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher
However, what is the difference when we compare the two GOATs of F1? Only Nico Rosberg can tell us, having driven alongside both during his career.
Rosberg revealed, “A big difference is hard work. Lewis hates test drives. He doesn’t like test drives. And Michael would drive tests every day, even though he is a seven-time world champion. But because he also knows that you can still learn a bit there.”
“It’s just hard work, passion. There is definitely a big difference. But ultimately this psychological war too,” concluded the German.
A lot has changed since 2016 and life in F1 isn’t as easy for Hamilton as it was perhaps back then. So the mentality could’ve changed, but we doubt he will be unknowingly helping his teammate win a championship. For that, we’ll have to wait a few years and ask George Russell.
