Lewis Hamilton told he’s suffering from issue that made Michael Schumacher look ‘very different’ in F1 return

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Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated appearance at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Ferrari colours didn’t go to plan at all, and Christian Danner has compared his debut year at Ferrari with Michael Schumacher’s return to F1 with Mercedes in 2010.

In fact, the entirety of Hamilton’s maiden season with the Scuderia hasn’t gone entirely to plan. 21 races into his tenure at Maranello, and a Sprint race win is the highlight that can be drawn from it.

He is still without a maiden Grand Prix podium for the Prancing Horse, leading some to brand Hamilton’s record as a Ferrari driver as ‘unworthy’ of the status he holds as a seven-time world champion.

Hamilton still has the support of the tifosi, however, after they leapt to his support following some fiery comments from Ferrari chairman John Elkann.

READ MORE: Fred Vasseur phone call may have sparked Ferrari chairman John Elkann’s ‘attack’ on Lewis Hamilton

Christian Danner thinks Lewis Hamilton is suffering from the same issue that hindered Michael Schumacher’s return to F1 in 2010

Speaking on a recent episode of the Motorsport-Magazin podcast, former F1 driver Christian Danner drew a comparison between what Hamilton is currently experiencing at Ferrari and the main issue that hindered Michael Schumacher during his return to the sport.

The German pundit highlighted how the Mercedes setup catered to Hamilton’s demands due to his long-standing tenure at the team, before saying, “At Ferrari, that doesn’t quite work out, and you can see that Hamilton is definitely a winner type, because I mean, he has achieved things that were incredible.

“The team is also part of it, and of course, a bit of this match between car, tyres, regulations, and personal feeling is equal to driving style.

“I always like to mention Michael Schumacher in this context, who at Ferrari got what he wanted in every respect, from the tyres, setup, aero, everything was Schumacher.

“And when he made his comeback at Mercedes a few years later, the world suddenly looked very different. There were no tyres that were built the way he wanted. He had the same Pirellis as everyone else.

“There was a vehicle that was fundamentally developed by Brawn, but it could not be changed according to the conditions at that time, even within the regulations. At least not in such a way that he got back what he would have liked to have.

“And that’s where it becomes uneven. Mistakes arise, little things arise. That just happens. And when you are used to always being at the front and having everything under control, then it is very difficult to look at it and say, what did I do wrong here?

“That can’t be. I am the best and the fastest. I believe that is what is bothering Lewis a bit at the moment, or is a bit in his way.”

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Michael Schumacher lost one of the most impressive stats of his F1 career upon his return to racing with Mercedes

Throughout the entirety of Schumacher’s original stint in F1, where he won 91 Grands Prix on his way to seven world titles, he managed to outscore his teammate in every single season that he competed in (except for 1999, where he missed seven races due to injury).

However, upon his return to the sport at Mercedes, the iconic racing driver failed to outscore Nico Rosberg in the three years that they spent as teammates.

It’s a feat that is now only claimed by one driver: Jim Clark. Every other legend of the sport, whether it’s Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost, has succumbed to the talents of their teammates at some point or another, fueling the fire of how impressive it is.

Despite his inability to bring the German constructor success during his time there, Schumacher was a popular figure within the Mercedes ranks.

For obvious reasons, indeed, but also through his incredible work ethic and attention to detail. The seven-time world champion’s presence certainly aided them in the highly successful period that followed his three-year stint at the team.