Former Red Bull, Williams and Jaguar driver Mark Webber has given high praise to Lewis Hamilton, stating that the six-time world champion is a “more complete” driver than seven-time champ Michael Schumacher.
Having already broken Schumacher’s pole positions record, Hamilton enters the 2020 Formula 1 season looking to also best his race wins total and match him for driver’s championships.
However, as things stand Webber thinks there is “no question” Hamilton is a legend of the sport, and perhaps even already ahead of the legendary German in terms of pure racing.
“I think he’s more complete than Michael,” Webber told speedcafe.com.
“I think he went about those results in a technically cleaner executed way, just by the way of wheel-to-wheel combat and no real trickery in his contracts with the other drivers.
“I think he’s certainly up there. I mean, obviously Alain Prost, where do you go with the [Niki] Laudas, the [Jackie] Stewarts, or [Ayrton] Senna?
“Clearly Michael is absolutely in there, he’s got all the records in terms of championships and race victories, but I’m confident that Lewis can give those a red hot go.”
Branding Hamilton’s partnership with Mercedes a “frightening proposition” ahead of the season opener this weekend in Melbourne, Webber lavished further praise on the 35-year-old Briton, with whom he competed for the 2010 driver’s championship, although it was ultimately won by Sebastian Vettel.
“On the track he is Nadal- and Federer-esque. He just executes, and he does it in a way that is very, very clinical.
“He doesn’t go to the stewards often; when was the last time he was done for speeding in the pit lane?
“He’s got so much mind management, and composure – [he’s an] extraordinary, extraordinary talent now, and he keeps reinventing himself, so [he] deserves everything.”