Mercedes technical director James Allison has described Lewis Hamilton as the ‘best racing car driver there’s ever been’. James appeared on the Beyond the Grid podcast following the German squad’s impressive performance in Canada.
The line of questioning shifted to Lewis Hamilton, who was leaving the team at the end of the year. James Allison joined Mercedes in 2017. Lewis has been the team’s lead driver and a regular member of the squad since his arrival.
Having said that, the driver is set to depart at the end of the season, and the team is considering alternatives to partner George Russell. James was asked what he would miss about Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, and he replied that the magic he created while driving. Allison proclaimed him the greatest racing driver of all time.
“The days when he would just produce total magic that would make you go, ‘oh my goodness’, putting a car on a road with such precision that all the other drivers around him had no choice but to kind of surrender to what Lewis was doing on the road.” The ability to make a tyre last forever, despite Bono’s assurances that it would not.”
He added:
“The drama that comes with having him as a teammate, but simply the delivery of brilliant, brilliant performances. I’ve said before that he’s the best racing car driver ever, and I still believe it.”
Allison chooses Lewis Hamilton over Michael Schumacher as the best.
James Allison previously worked with Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. The technical director has been with Lewis Hamilton since 2017 and has seen him perform at his peak.
During the podcast, Allison was asked who he would choose as the best of the two. The Mercedes ace chose Lewis over Michael, saying:
“If I’ve a gun against the head, had to choose the best person [between Schumacher], I would pick Lewis.”
Lewis Hamilton has had a fruitful career at Mercedes. The partnership has lasted over a decade, and he has won six world championships with them. The next phase of his career at Ferrari will be very interesting.
The driver is tied with Michael Schumacher for seven world championships and is joining Ferrari, where the German established his legacy. It will be interesting to see if Lewis wins his eighth title and cements his status as the greatest ever.