Michael Schumacher wouldn’t want Lewis Hamilton to secure a historic eighth F1 title as the Australian Grand Prix creeps closer.
That’s according to 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who believes the German would want the pair to remain level.
Schumacher won seven F1 crowns during his prime years in the sport, with the majority coming throughout his spell at Ferrari.
Hamilton has now moved to the Marenello-based side as he looks to secure glory for the first time since 2020.
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have won seven F1 titles each
PA
It is unclear what Schumacher thinks about Hamilton, with the 56-year-old living his life away from the spotlight ever since his tragic skiing accident in 2013.
Villeneuve, however, claims he wouldn’t want Hamilton to go one clear due to the prestige of their current record.
“No, Michael Schumacher wouldn’t be happy to see Lewis Hamilton win the eighth championship,” he told YaySweepstakes.com.
“Nobody who holds a record wants to be beaten. It’s the name of the game, that’s why you’re a sportsman.
“And every driver, including me, always said, ‘Oh, the number of wins don’t matter, records don’t’, but that’s not true.
“You just don’t want to seem pompous or arrogant. So you just say, ‘No, no, I don’t care, don’t look at these numbers’, but of course you do. It’s part of your ego, it’s part of why you’re a competitor.
“Because you want to win, you want to beat everyone, you want to be the best.
“You want the results, you want the wins, you want the championships, you want the biggest salary. That’s how you judge yourself. It’s super important.”
Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to win the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday
PA
While that’s the case, however, Schumacher did say in 2008 that he felt his record would be beaten one day.
“I would say, absolutely, yes,” he said at the time.
“Nobody thought, even me, that I could beat [Juan Manuel] Fangio.
“Then I did. Records are there to be beaten.
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“I’m quite relaxed that one day it will happen, whether it’s Lewis, whether it’s [Felipe] Massa, [Sebastian] Vettel or whoever.
“It might be someone of the current or of the future that could or will do it. But I’ve got no problem about it.”
Hamilton, meanwhile, is currently focused on Sunday’s race.
He will go into the event hoping to prove he can still compete with Max Verstappen at the age of 40, despite the twilight years of his career approaching.
Michael Schumacher established himself as an F1 legend during his time in the sport
PA
Hamilton last won the Australian Grand Prix back in 2015.
Carlos Sainz Jr reigned supreme last year, though has since left Ferrari for Williams.