The challenges Hamilton must overcome to topple Schumacher's greatest F1 record

Lewis Hamilton is set to match another of Michael Schumacher’s records this weekend. When the lights go out to signal the start in Bahrain, he will begin his 179th grand prix with Mercedes. That will equal the longevity of the partnership that Schumacher forged at Ferrari. But moving ahead of the German by claiming a peerless eighth world title will be far less of a formality.

For starters, the W13’s potential proved hard to unlock during pre-season testing at Barcelona and Sakhir. While team and driver are no strangers to playing down expectations this early, and the Silver Arrow was never bothering the top of the speed traps (suggesting modest engine modes), there’s greater reason than ever to subscribe to the muted expectations. Mercedes, more than most, is struggling with porpoising down the straights and understeer through the corners.

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Hamilton has almost ruled out his landmark appearance in the Bahrain GP being prosperous as a result. His last words on the competitive order shown in testing were: “At the moment, I don’t think we’ll be competing for wins. But there is potential within our car to get us there… People keep talking about us talking ourselves down, but it’s a bit different this year.”

Although Lando Norris batted the suggestion away immediately, Hamilton went as far as placing Mercedes fourth in the current pecking order behind Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren. Should that transpire for a squad that has won eight constructors’ titles in succession, it would be the worst return in the points table since the Three-Pointed Star ranked fifth in 2012.

Hamilton must also contend with a new team-mate in 2022, the third time he will have done so during his decade at the squad. The true arrival, proper integration and ultimate graduation of Mercedes junior George Russell presents a new challenge for the elder statesman.

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Four years alongside Nico Rosberg grew bitter and draining for both sides of the garage as the childhood karting companions fought for supremacy at the dawn of the 1.6-litre turbo-hybrid era. Valtteri Bottas proved to be a more soothing replacement that, in all but contract, allowed Hamilton to become the absolute number one driver at Brackley.

Hamilton is due to face his strongest internal threat since 2016 in Russell

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

With Russell, Hamilton must contend with the notion that Mercedes has ultimately signed his replacement – the heir to the Silver Arrows grand prix empire. And in reverse to the way in which Hamilton was never able to fight back against Rosberg after the 2016 champion promptly announced his retirement that winter, Russell will privately want to prove he has the measure of the most-decorated driver of recent times by beating Hamilton within the two years remaining on his contract.

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“Honestly, I have no idea what the first time we started working together was,” says Hamilton, 37, of a new stablemate who is 13 years his junior. “I just remember him being in the engineering room with us and feeling very much a part of the team.

While the inter- and indeed intra-team competition is as tough as any Hamilton has faced in his career, he has also shown over and over that he returns a better, fiercer driver when he’s bouncing back from adversity. That is what he must do again following the farce in Abu Dhabi

“He’s gelled very easily into the team. He was in the engineering room for plenty of races in the past where he was just sat behind me and watched everything I did, and the same with Valtteri. He knew everyone, so it’s been seamless. We’re working together and communicating a lot in terms of set-up direction. It’s working really well.

“I think George is naturally incredibly talented, very focused. So far, he seems very genuine, and is just focused on being the best team player he can be. Of course, he’s had an amazing run, getting to F1. He fits in, and fits the position, like a glove. I think I’ve learned a lot over the years of how to engage with your team-mate, how you work as a team, in helping the team achieve the ultimate goal.”

Hamilton is undoubtedly complimentary about the potential pretender to his throne, but still subtly put Russell in his place as the newcomer who must first learn and bide his time.

“I’m excited to engage with him, to collaborate with him,” he said. “I know also what it’s like for him being in the position up against a world champion. I know the pressures that come with it, the expectations, and the internal feelings of what it’s like. I want him to learn as much as he can and grow as much as he can. I have no doubts, he’s going to be a strong competitor. I’ll be focusing also hard to make sure I do the job to the best of my ability.”

Then there’s who Hamilton must compete with in the next bay down the pitlane: Max Verstappen, the reigning champion.

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Mercedes has struggled badly with porpoising in pre-season testing, and Hamilton doesn't believe the team will be in victory contention this weekend

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

It’s fair to say that a major factor in the Red Bull racer coming a narrow second in the Autosport top 10 F1 drivers of last season behind Hamilton was his over-aggression in wheel-to-wheel combat with the Briton. See Monza and Jeddah. But otherwise, his racecraft left him most worthy of the number one spot. That’s what Hamilton must go up against once more.

“Max did everything a driver would do given the opportunity he was given,” says Hamilton of his Dutch rival. “And he’s a great competitor and we will go into another battle like we did last year and hopefully conduct ourselves… we will obviously grow from our races and experiences we had last year all through the season. But no issues with him.

“I don’t hold any grudges with anybody – I never think that’s ever a good thing to carry around with you. I move forwards, I don’t dwell on the past. And, as I said before, I feel fresh, I feel centred, and fully focused. I don’t have anything holding over my shoulders holding me back this year. Not that I did last year, but I’m not letting that experience be one of those.”

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While the inter- and indeed intra-team competition is as tough as any Hamilton has faced in his career, he has also shown over and over that he returns a better, fiercer driver when he’s bouncing back from adversity. That is what he must do again following the farce in Abu Dhabi.

Some of his greatest displays arrived immediately after the 2016 title defeat to Rosberg, or winning in Monaco in 2019 after the death of mentor Niki Lauda, or taking the Mercedes to an unexpected victory in Bahrain last season when floor regulation changes hurt his team most of all. For 2022, that will require righting the events at Yas Marina, which Hamilton will likely feel is the biggest wrongdoing he’s faced in his career.

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In an ominous reply, Hamilton reckons: “I always feel like through these sorts of experiences, you can turn that emotion into strength and into power. That’s what I’m doing. I’m putting that into my training. I’m putting that into my work that I have with the men and women here in this team.

“If you think what you saw at the end of last year was my best, wait until you see this year… I’m just putting absolutely every ounce of my energy and time into making sure that I’m the best you’ve ever seen.”

Should Mercedes be playing a bluffing game with the W13 or manage to hone what is actually a tricky car in double quick time, it will avoid a wasted scenario where “the best” Hamilton “ever seen” is only fighting for a podium rather than race wins in the early part of the campaign. If the car does come good, this version of Hamilton has the self-assurance to vanquish Verstappen and indeed Russell. In that sequence of events, he will keep on toppling Schumacher’s records.

Hamilton has pledged to bounce back from Abu Dhabi to be "the best you've ever seen", but will his car allow him to make good on that promise?

Photo by: Alessio Morgese