Lewis Hamilton moved level with Michael Schumacher for most Drivers’ Championships this season. Like Schumacher at Ferrari, Hamilton is on a hot streak at Mercedes. Hence, many are comparing the two teams, drivers, and eras now to find out which is greater.
Former Ferrari CEO and current FIA President, Jean Todt, believes that the current era is the best. Even though he was the General Manager at the time of Ferrari, he claims that the ‘Silver Arrows’ outfit is more superior.
The Frenchman was presenting both the superstars with special awards at the 2020 FIA Prize Giving Ceremony.
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Interviewers asked Todt to compare the two, and he said, “The only thing we can compare is seven against seven. I would say, and I feel, the supremacy, the dominance of Mercedes and Lewis is bigger than the one we had at the time, with Ferrari and Michael.”
Todt was spearheading the ‘Dream Team’ at Ferrari in the 2000s. To this day, he shares a special relationship with the German.
He further compared the two teams, saying, “On one side you have a very structured organized German team, with an extra-talented driver.
“And on the other side, you had one Italian team with a different mentality, a different approach, which became well-structured, well-organized, and also a great driver, Michael Schumacher.”
The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton is more reliable, feels Todt
With the advancement of technology, the F1 cars of today are more reliable than before. Every year, teams set new limits, and Mercedes is becoming the gold standard in that department. They rarely suffer an engine or car failure.
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Before his absence due to coronavirus at Bahrain, Hamilton scored points for the last two years in every race.
“Credit to them, the car is very reliable, and apart from the race in Bahrain, which was missed by Lewis. For two years he did not miss to score points in a race, it’s absolutely outstanding. It means [there is] reliability, and the driver is not doing mistakes, it is just a combination again,” Todt expressed.
One can never truly say who the ‘GOAT’ is, as one can never compare two different eras. The machinery, equipment, and circumstances are different for each.
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However, each of them is definitely the greatest of their time.