Ex-Ferrari engineer says Lewis Hamilton isn’t the same ‘workaholic’ as Michael Schumacher

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Former F1 engineer Aldo Costa has compared the work ethics of Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, having worked with both legends of the sport during his respective stints at Ferrari and Mercedes.

Due to their status as the only two seven-time world champions in Formula 1 history, Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have been the subjects of a multitude of comparisons over the years.

With Hamilton now plying his trade at Ferrari, the comparisons have continued to spill out of Maranello.

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Aldo Costa spent the majority of his F1 career in Modena as part of the Scuderia’s efforts in the sport before switching to Mercedes in 2011.

He was an integral part of the Silver Arrows’ success in the mid-to-late 2010s and is one of the very few Italian engineers to have worked with both legends at some point or another in their careers.

As such, he has recently detailed how the work ethic compares between the two greats, while labelling Schumacher a ‘workaholic’.

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Aldo Costa compares Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher after working with both

Speaking via an appearance on the Terruzzi Racconta podcast, Costa began by detailing how meticulously attentive Hamilton was during his stint at Brackley.

He was then asked where the Briton stacks up against Schumacher when it comes to technical attention to detail, to which he replied, “They’re worlds apart when it comes to the world of motor racing.

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“One has a slightly different approach – a workaholic behind the wheel, hyper-meticulous down to the last detail. The other prefers to drive when there’s a battle to be fought.

“I mean, [Hamilton] doesn’t really like driving the car and doing 2,000 laps a day, whereas Schumacher would drive from morning till night every day of the year.

“But in terms of feedback, both give very detailed driver comments. Both have extraordinary talent.”

Since joining Ferrari ahead of the 2025 campaign, Hamilton’s notorious lack of use with the team’s simulator has raised questions over the preparation he undertakes for each upcoming race weekend.

F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher pinpointed it as one of the main reasons the 41-year-old struggled so much against Charles Leclerc during his debut year in red, and why the Monegasque continues to record stronger results.

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Aldo Costa also recalled a moment that showcased Lewis Hamilton’s attention to detail

Costa also recalled a moment between Hamilton and former rival Sebastian Vettel at an edition of the Italian Grand Prix, which he felt showcased the Briton’s extraordinary attention to detail.

During his words on the Italian podcast, he added, “There was a great race at Monza, I can’t remember which year, with Vettel.

“Vettel had tried to overtake [Hamilton], and he’d positioned the front tyre at a spot on the second chicane to prevent Vettel from overtaking him. In fact, Vettel ended up on the kerb.

“Once the race was over, he told us about his decisions, down to the thousandth of a second. He said: ‘So I saw Vettel coming, so I thought if I put the tyres there, he’ll be forced onto the kerb. So I did it, and he went onto the kerb’.”