Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton are tied on seven F1 world titles apiece.

Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are almost inseparable in the argument over F1’s GOAT. But there is a prominent figure who, having worked with both drivers, feels that one has the upper hand in terms of natural talent.

Hamilton and Schumacher top the all-time Drivers’ Championships list at seven apiece. And while Hamilton’s 105 Grand Prix wins puts him ahead of Schumacher on 91, their races-per-win ratio is virtually identical.

Both competitors had the benefit of driving dominant cars in their pomp, and both capitalised on that performance to ruthless effect. Current Williams team principal James Vowles, who formerly worked as a strategy director with Mercedes, had the chance to observe the pair of them at close quarters.

“With Lewis, when he joined us [he] was, and still is today, the most – within my Mercedes career – the most naturally talented driver I’ve worked with, including Michael,” Vowles told the High Performance podcast. “Just so much natural talent. That journey we took him on was, ‘We’ll win Championships together’.”

Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, the year after Schumacher left and retired for a second time. The Silver Arrows were still finding their feet as an F1 team during Schumacher’s second coming, but they hit their stride in Hamilton’s second season and led the Brit to six world titles in seven years.

James Vowles worked with both Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

Though Vowles was not at the Scuderia to witness Schumacher at the peak of his powers, he could not look past Hamilton as the standout driver in F1’s recent history.

“Lewis just has oodles of natural talent,” he continued. “And, with him, he’s got these tendencies and traits where, when you go out in FP1, he’s like an octopus all over the wheel. He’ll change every setting on the wheel near enough and explore it. But it’s what makes him incredible.

“At times you’ll see Lewis drops backwards and often when he jumps forwards again it’s because he’s gone to a set-up that’s known and now he’s back on the money. But he’s able to do that and many drivers aren’t.

“He’s able to explore often, perhaps in the wrong place on set-up, but he’s learning from it. And that’s Lewis all over.”