Former Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley believes Lewis Hamilton’s move to the Italian team could be the catalyst for them to dominate Formula One again.
Ferrari last claimed the World Constructors’ Championship in 2008, with rivals Red Bull and Mercedes dominating the series since then.
However, the addition of Hamilton to the ranks could be a game-changer for a team which has has been starved of success for much too long.
The seven-time world champion will be a ‘must-watch’ driver next season, particularly for the millions of Scuderia Ferrari fans worldwide.
They will be eager to follow Hamilton’s progress and can watch F1 TV Pro from anywhere with the help of a reliable VPN set-up on their digital device.
Smedley understands the passion generated by Ferrari having previously worked for the team. He believes the sky is the limit if Hamilton settles into life with the Italian outfit.
“Lewis has definitely got to play his part in endearing himself and embracing the culture of the team and not being on the periphery of that,” Smedley told the Formula for Success podcast.
“And if he can do that, they will love him. Honestly, he will walk on water. I think that the team will embrace him.
“If you go there with a bit of a reputation, like what Lewis has got for being able to deliver, the team will get around him.”
Hamilton’s track record of success in F1 makes him an intriguing proposition for a team which has been overshadowed by Red Bull and Mercedes in recent years.
Current drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr have done a solid job with Ferrari, but they lack the British star’s title-winning know-how.
Hamilton will likely be reinvigorated by switching his allegiance in F1 having been with the works Mercedes team since the 2013 season.
He knows team principal Frederic Vasseur well from his junior days, which should help him enjoy a smooth transition into life in the Ferrari set-up.
Hamilton will be working with a new race engineer with the Italian team after Peter Bonnington accepted a promotion to become head of race engineering with Mercedes.
The British star’s management team and personal trainers will maintain their existing relationships with him, which Smedley believes is the right way to go about things.
He says that drivers should avoid taking an entourage with them if they switch teams as those individuals may struggle to make the transition to a different set-up.
Smedley thinks a link-up with a different race engineer could reinvigorate both sides of the equation, thus generating a win-win situation for Ferrari and Hamilton.
He insists that Hamilton’s move will be hugely beneficial to the Italian team and will help them to eke the improvements they need to rule the world again.
“They’ll just be able to raise their game by another one or two percent because they’ll feel that confidence,” Smedley added.
“This is a seven-time world champion coming into your team, having chosen your team over effectively a team he’s been at for, let’s call it all of his life, if you take the engine part of it.
“Suddenly he’s walking away from all of that and all of that legacy, and he’s choosing you guys. So that gives you a massive boost of confidence. If everybody works that half or one percent harder or smarter, then great things can happen.”
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