There are echoes of Michael Schumacher in Lewis Hamilton, the current poster boy of Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton’s appreciation of what Michael Schumacher has accomplished during his long racing career in Formula 1 has brought back a flood of memories of the German great.

On Sunday last, Hamilton equalled Schumacher’s record of 91 Grand Prix wins. And with the way things are going, Hamilton is more than likely to clinch his seventh world title and equal Schumacher’s title count.

When Mick Schumacher -- Michael’s son -- presented Hamilton with one of his father’s helmets, the awe on the Mercedes driver’s face said it all. This achievement means something.

It is not out of the blue that the name Schumacher is becoming relevant again around racetracks. This time, it is Mick creating the buzz with his exploits in Formula 2. He scored a couple of wins recently and is leading the drivers’ championship standings. He was even scheduled to drive the Alfa Romeo Racing F1 car in Free Practice 1 for the Germany race last Friday. However, bad weather forced the FP session to be called off.

It is probably hard for 21-year-old Mick to race with his father’s condition. The memories of his father’s heyday would return. It is so unfortunate that Michael Schumacher, considered one of the greatest of all time, has faced so many struggles after the skiing accident in 2013 that left him in a wheelchair. His family has been tight-lipped about his condition but there have been reports that he can barely speak. Very few are aware of the real picture.

Schumacher won his last world title in 2004 for Ferrari and he was the same age as Hamilton is now. Again, the Briton will win the title this year in all likelihood for Mercedes. This brings up an important point -- the relentless hard work, dedication and motivation that Hamilton has, which is just like Schumacher.

It is very easy to dismiss Hamilton now or Schumacher from those days saying that the car was better than the rest of the field. It is unfortunately not that simple. A 35-year-old will definitely not have the reflexes of an 18- or 20-year-old. Athletes like Schumacher, Hamilton or even Kimi Raikkonen manage to keep themselves relevant and driving due to their motivation and hard work.

In MotoGP, Yamaha factory team rider Valentino Rossi is another example. His season could have been better but at the age of 41, he is still part of a factory team and that says a lot about the nine-time world champion.

Schumacher was also like that in his later days with Ferrari. And also, the fact that he came out of retirement and drove for the Mercedes factory team from 2010-12 alongside fellow German Nico Rosberg was testament to the fact that he was still up to the job. Of course, things could have gone better for Schumacher but the fact remains that he was still in good shape and mentally prepared for the rigours of Formula 1 racing.

Many have often criticised Michael Schumacher’s win-at-all-costs attitude. He may have made mistakes but you don’t become a multiple-time world champion with a casual attitude.

Let us hope that Hamilton goes on to win more, set more records and bring more glory to himself, the team and the sport. It would also underline the fact that a Black man can be just as good or better than anyone else.

Of course, it would also be great to see Mick on the Formula 1 starting grid.