Hamilton hailed after sixth F1 title as Brawn offers Schumacher comparison

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Lewis Hamilton has been hailed by his peers after wrapping up his sixth Formula 1 championship at the US Grand Prix.

The Briton might have narrowly lost out on victory in Austin but second place was more than enough to move second alone in the all-time list and only one behind Michael Schumacher's legendary tally of seven.

First to lead the chants was his Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who sees no end in sight to Hamilton's reign at the top of F1.

“Lewis is still very motivated and you can see he wants to win every single race,” he said.

“As long as that is the case, he can go for more. We need to provide him with a good car.

“There is no limit.”

Sebastian Vettel was also among the first to congratulate Hamilton, heading to the cool-down room before the podium to shake the 34-year-old's hand.

In his remarks, the Ferrari driver believed this should be a moment when the accomplishment of the 34-year-old should be full credited.

"I think now is the time for you to write as many good things as you can," he told reporters. "If somebody wins the title six times, he deserves all of it. That's what I told him as well.

"Obviously I'm happy for him, I'm not happy that we are not in contention this year and we were so far back.

"But you need to respect what he achieved the last years and also this year, together with his team how strong they have been.

"I'm happy for him but less happy for us."

Daniel Ricciardo commented: "It's impressive, of course. As a fellow racer, all you can do is really respect what he's done.

"They'll always be people saying great car, great team, all of that - and yes, maybe, but to hold that level week in, week out... there's so much more involved in this sport than just driving.

"There's the circus and for him to hold that level for all these years, at the top of the circus, you can only respect that. Six titles, not many at all have done that so I tip my hat to him."

Some of F1's newest drivers will have only been in their early teens or younger when Hamilton claimed his memorable first title back in 2008, and they too joined in the praise.

"On my side, I didn't even win one world title - only one title is already is a huge achievement, to win six is just incredible," said Charles Leclerc.

 

"He deserves it. He has done an incredible season. I grew up watching him on the TV and just huge congratulations to him."

Lando Norris is looking to follow in Hamilton's footsteps having come through the youth system at McLaren and he also thinks more success is on the way.

"I'm happy for him, I don't know what it feels like winning one world championship!" said the Briton.

"I congratulated him after the race. He's the second-ever driver in history to get to six world championships and I'm sure he's going to go on to win more.

"I'm very happy, he's done an awesome job and he's beaten his team-mate in every single F1 season bar two. So he's pretty handy! Congrats to him."

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With Schumacher's record now within reach, one man who was crucial to the German's success, Ross Brawn, compared the two drivers.

"I think the best compliment I can pay Lewis today is to say that he has found a unique way of being a great champion," he said.

“I have to admit that when I started working with him back in 2013 I was slightly nervous about his approach to being a professional racing driver.

“For me, the benchmark was Michael Schumacher, a man totally dedicated to chasing success and at the same time very keen to guard his privacy and that of his family.

“Even then, Lewis was demonstrating a truly eclectic approach to his career and whilst totally professional he preferred a lifestyle that was definitely less monastic than Michael’s.

“Lewis has always been comfortable moving in different circles, such as music and fashion, and that’s given him the energy to develop his talent still further, while always ensuring he is in the best physical shape possible, which is vital in the modern Formula 1 era,” he added.

“And at Mercedes, Lewis has found the right support in an environment that is stimulating technically but that at the same time allows him the freedom he absolutely needs.

“I, therefore, congratulate Toto Wolff and the whole team, as they’ve not only given him an amazing car year after year but they’ve allowed Lewis to develop and grow to become one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula 1, certainly the strongest of the last 15 years.”

 

         

 

 

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