Hamilton Doesn't Want Cheating Legacy like Schumacher

Lewis Hamilton made a forceful debut in Formula One at the beginning of the 2007 season, and is now evaluating his future career in the sport. According to his own sayings, while hoping to become as winningest as 7-time champion Michael Schumacher in the series, he doesn't want to do that on the expense of being considered a cheat.

“When I think about history, it is not just about me, it is about how my family raised me, where we came from. For that to be tainted by something like that would devastate me,” said 25-year old Hamilton in Monaco earlier this week.

His comments are obviously referring to the famous Rascasse scandal in 2006, when Schumacher stalled his car in the middle of the Monaco track in the dying seconds of the qualifying session in order to block Fernando Alonso's (his title rival at the time) flying lap. The FIA stewards eventually stepped in and handed the German a grid penalty for Sunday, but the incident made the history books nonetheless.

Piggybacking on that hope to become a fair driver, Hamilton further added that he would like people to remember him as totally different from Schumacher.

“Absolutely,” answered Ham when asked if he wants to be remembered in a better light than the 41-year old German. “I want to be remembered as a fair driver, a clean driver, one who always drove with his heart, who battled through thick and thin to score the points and the championships I will hopefully earn.”

We don't know about fair, but we can bet he's going to be remembered as a very competitive driver, as his career so far, although peppered with controversial incidents, has been a sole proof of his strong desire to win. Hamilton became the youngest driver to win the world championship in 2008, while also the first black driver to become F1 champion.