A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
James Vowles has offered a detailed comparison between Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, highlighting the different qualities that made both drivers exceptional.
Vowles compares Hamilton and Schumacher’s strengths
In the High Performance Podcast, the Williams team principal said Schumacher’s defining trait was his ability to maximise everything around him.
“Michael wasn’t the most skilful in the car, that was Lewis,” Vowles said. “But he knew how to extract every millisecond out of himself and every millisecond out of the team.”
Hamilton, according to Vowles, had a great deal of natural talent that would allow him to be on the pace immediately.
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“When you go out in FP1, he’s like an octopus all over the wheel,” he explained. “He’ll change every setting, explore everything, and it’s what makes him incredible.”
Lewis Hamilton 'the fearless optimiser'
Vowles recalled a moment in Brazil where the simulator recommended holding seventh gear up the hill. Hamilton's then teammate Nico Rosberg followed the instruction within two laps.
The Briton, however, trusted his instinct, dropped to sixth gear, and found a tenth of a second. “Lewis is this optimiser,” Vowles said. “He uses data as a starting point, but his feel for the car goes beyond that.”
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That instinct often saw Hamilton push the limits from the start of a session, even if it meant going off track.
Early in his career, Vowles said, “Out of 20 laps, he’d do one. It was frustrating.” Over time, however, Hamilton matured and learned to complete every lap while still gathering the same level of insight.
Hamilton the master braker, would lose the Mercedes garage
Braking, Vowles noted, was always Hamilton’s greatest strength, using it to find the car’s limit and build rhythm. But his approach also had drawbacks.
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“He’d change the car so quickly that sometimes you’d lose yourself,” Vowles said.
“When the driver has moved everything on the wheel, the track is changing, and the grip is changing, you don’t know where you are.
"Then he comes in, we’ve changed mechanical and aero balance, and we’re starting from scratch.”
Even so, Vowles said Hamilton’s willingness to experiment and his willingness to accept being on the wrong setup for a whole session to learn set him apart. “Many drivers can’t do that. He can. That’s Lewis all over.”
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