Michael Schumacher (left) withe Felipe Massa in 2006. Photo / File.
Michael Schumacher (left) withe Felipe Massa in 2006. Photo / File.
In many F1 fans' minds, Michael Schumacher is the greatest of all time.
He's won the most races, the most World titles — although Lewis Hamilton is hot on his heels with six — and most podium finishes with his legend continuing to grow.
While Lewis Hamilton is closing in on several of his records and holding a better percentage of podiums and race wins, it seems inevitable that the Brit will overtake Schumacher's records.
Hamilton has copped some criticism about driving the best car, but F1 legend and former team owner Eddie Jordan believes he could become the greatest ever.
As when anyone nears one of the big records, a debate over the greatest of all-time rears its head.
Jordan has long been involved in motorsport and launched Eddie Jordan racing, which eventually made it into the F1 in 1991.
Michael Schumacher (left) withe Felipe Massa in 2006. Photo / File.
The team gave opportunities to the likes of world champions Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna and Schumacher.
But surprisingly, Jordan doesn't believe Schumacher is the GOAT either, instead going with four-time world champion Alain Prost, although admitting Hamilton may be able to finish his career at the top of the pile.
Schumacher was handed his F1 debut with Jordan in 1991 before he moved to Benetton, where he claimed his first two titles in 1994 and 1995 and switched to Ferrari in 1996.
Speaking on Irish talk radio Off The Ball, Jordan said he had "a little issue with Michael" revealing a contract element that aided his performance.
After calling Prost a "team player", Jordan said Schumacher let "himself down in one area for me".
"That one area was that in every contract, whether I signed with (Eddie) Irvine or (Rubens) Barrichello or whoever they were – there was a clause there that they always had to play second-fiddle to Michael Schumacher," Jordan said.
"I want him to be the best, but I can't. I just feel, somebody who had the most unbelievable natural talent, in a similar sort of level to Senna. People had more of a love-affair about Senna because they wanted to believe he was the best.
"Probably Michael was the most talented, but for me the best driver I've seen in the thirty or so years I was around the thing was Alain Prost.
"That's probably going to change very shortly because I do feel that Lewis Hamilton has achieved all of those things. Okay, in a different era where there is a monopoly – the car is quite simply staggering – but nevertheless he has maximised it.
"I would say by the next couple of months, if there is a championship this year, we'll see yet another champion achieving seven world titles. I think Lewis Hamilton has every chance to be the greatest driver of all time."
Schumacher was a giant in the sport with former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone sharing how powerful he was during his career.
In an interview last week with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Ecclestone was discussing Ferrari boss Matthia Binotto as Ferrari try to win its first title since 2007.
He said the problem was the team "lacks a leader" but said Schumacher once held that place.
"Do you know what Schumacher once told me? He said: 'I'm the real team leader'," Ecclestone remembered. Schumacher won five straight titles with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004.
Since then, Ferrari only had one more champion — Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.
Another potential issue raised by Jordan over Schumacher's legacy was the immense skill of Senna before his untimely death in 1994 after suffering fatal injuries in the San Marino Grand Prix on May 1, 1994.
Jordan gave Senna his first drive in Formula 3 as well and said "it's always a really difficult call to know which of the two" was the best driver.
It comes after 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg called Schumacher the GOAT and beat Prost and Juan Manuel Fangio to many long standing records.
Rosberg, who was teammates with both Schumacher and Hamilton while at Mercedes, named Schumacher as the best, ahead of Fangio, Senna, Hamilton and Prost.
He called the German legend "a complete all-rounder" on Sky Sports F1.
Rosberg also lashed out at those leaving Schumacher off their top five drivers of all-time lists, saying "That's stupid, come on".
