Autosport Plus

Why Hamilton's chance to eclipse Schumacher matters even if he fails

All great sportspeople suffer defeat. But whether Lewis Hamilton surpasses Michael Schumacher as Formula 1's statistically greatest competitor or ends up falling short, his is a legacy of great importance to the championship's history

Across all of sport, the best champions lose.

Some endure defeat from the start, working constantly to improve and finally seal the deal right at the end of their careers - walking off into a golden sunset. Others win immediately, but finally lose their grip on what should be their last, greatest moment. And some find success and failure intertwined throughout their endeavours.

Sprinter Usain Bolt lost his final race. American Football player Tom Brady finally looks like he can't prevail if the odds are stacked against him. And, back in 2006, Michael Schumacher missed out on an eighth Formula 1 world title just after he'd finally announced his golden era with Ferrari would end.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.