Ex-Ferrari F1 race engineer Rob Smedley believes Lewis Hamilton's arrival in 2025 will be a major boost for the Scuderia, and he tips the Briton to thrive in the Italian outfit’s unique environment.
Hamilton’s move to Maranello has come after a surprising turn of events, with the seven-time F1 world champion opting to end his long-standing partnership with Mercedes.
The once dominant Brackley squad, which has won just a single race in the past two seasons, courtesy of George Russell in Brazil, is currently lagging behind Red Bull, making Hamilton's dream of an eighth championship title with Mercedes seem improbable.
Smedley, who famously worked with Felipe Massa for several years during Ferrari's intense championship battles with Hamilton during the latter’s McLaren days, believes the Briton can carru Ferrari to the next crucial level.
“I think he’ll love it there,” Smedley told the Formula for Success podcast. “He’s a driver that needs the team to be very much behind him and supporting him. And I think he’ll love it.
“ I think the Tifosi – the Ferrari fans – they are unique in the world as to how passionate they are. When you’re there you feel part of the national team – that’s what it is, right?
“When you win, they treat you very nicely, and you never have to pay in any restaurants… But the reality is that when you don’t do very well, they’re also very clear with you.”
Smedley believes that if Hamilton endears himself to Ferrari’s supporters, this will boost his motivation, which in turn will directly benefit the Italian outfit.
“I think when you win them over, as somebody like Michael Schumacher did, you are a God. And I think that will give Lewis the little bit of motivation that perhaps he needs.
“And I think it will be a two-way reciprocal thing, because I think that Lewis can elevate the team that final few percent, and that’s all it ever needs.
“I mean if you look at Red Bull when it was struggling or Mercedes, Ferrari, you know, just before we started to win all those championships, it’s got all the right ingredients, it just needs that final few percent to elevate it which Lewis can do.
“He can bring that final few percent, just quicken everybody’s pace just that tiny bit, and then turn them into a winning machine.”
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