Schu - Lewis needed title

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Michael Schumacher has said that Lewis Hamilton would have struggled to recover had he lost the World Championship in the final race for a second successive year.

The McLaren Mercedes star became the sport's youngest ever World Champion in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton finishing fifth at Interlagos to pip Ferrari's Felipe Massa by a single point.

However, it had appeared late in the race that the Englishman had let the title slip from his grasp: Hamilton falling to sixth and only taking the place he needed by passing Timo Glock's Toyota at the last corner.

Twelve months earlier, Hamilton was again favourite to become World Champion in Brazil but the combination of a rash opening lap plus technical problems allowed Kimi Raikkonen to take the crown.

Seven times World Champion Schumacher told La Republica that, had Hamilton fallen short once more, he might have struggled to deal with the disappointment.

"Losing this year would have hurt him badly," he said. "One year it is an anecdote, but two in a row is something statistical.

"If he had lost his Championship dream again, and again in the last race, it would be like he is condemned: eternally without the prize," the German added.

Schumacher, who turned 40 on Saturday, also had advice for any drivers looking to emulate his achievements, saying that his record-breaking career was based on "consistency and continuity".