Michael Schumacher's brother backs Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton 'light years' away

Not lone has Ralf Schumacher picked betwixt Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, helium has besides asserted that the British seven-time F1 champion doesn't travel adjacent to his member Michael

Ralf Schumacher insists Lewis Hamilton's bequest is 'light years' distant from that of his member Michael and thinks Max Verstappen could travel person to matching the German legend.

Hamilton is the lone thrust successful Formula 1 past who has matched Michael Schumacher's grounds of 7 drivers' titles. And helium has eclipsed the erstwhile Ferrari racer successful galore ways, having won much races and secured a greater fig of rod positions.

Verstappen has had a stellar vocation of his ain but, arsenic it stands, remains 4 title successes down them. Despite that, Ralf believes the Dutchman has what it takes to travel person to matching his brother's legacy, successful his eyes.

The Sky Germany pundit told Formula1.de: "Not adjacent Lewis Hamilton volition ever travel adjacent to Michael. Not successful airy years, from my constituent of view. We thought Lewis Hamilton could locomotion connected h2o and, no, helium did not.

"We thought Max Verstappen could locomotion connected h2o - though successful my opinion, successful presumption of talent, helium could really spell further than Lewis. That is conscionable the mode it is."

Michael Schumacher won the archetypal 2 of his 7 F1 titles driving for Benetton successful 1994 and 1995. He aboriginal made the power to Ferrari wherever helium was joined by immoderate of the cardinal figures who had helped marque his erstwhile squad truthful successful, and proceeded to triumph the adjacent 5 consecutively betwixt 2000 and 2004.

F1 had ne'er seen specified dominance from a operator up to that point. It was lone successful the sport's Hybrid Era, which began successful 2014 with a caller acceptable of regulations, that Hamilton and his Mercedes squad took a stranglehold - the Brit winning six titles successful 7 years, beaten lone by team-mate Nico Rosberg who narrowly got the amended of him successful 2016.

Regarding his brother's occurrence astatine the tallness of his racing career, Ralf conceded that determination was an constituent of luck which helped him execute each that helium did. He added: "Michael was 1 of the drivers who made the difference. He was besides precise fortunate to beryllium successful the close spot astatine the close time."

Tyre regularisation changes came into unit successful 2005 which hampered Ferrari and Schumacher won conscionable erstwhile each season, finishing 3rd successful the championship. He managed 7 successful 2006 but inactive finished arsenic runner-up to Fernando Alonso and retired from F1. He aboriginal returned for a three-year stint to assistance found the Mercedes squad which has enjoyed truthful overmuch occurrence with Hamilton since.

Sadly, conscionable a twelvemonth aft his 2nd and last status astatine the extremity of 2012, Schumacher suffered life-changing injuries successful a skiing mishap and continues to necessitate round-the-clock care. Details of his information are scarce with his fiercely protective woman Corinna keen to defender her husband's privacy.