The new Ferrari drivers
What will the relationship be like at Ferrari between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton? A question that is becoming increasingly persistent among fans and supporters of the Scuderia, especially after the very first words from the seven-time world champion as an official driver for the Maranello team, with the inevitable car presentation events and pre-season tests fast approaching.
Rob Smedley’s impression
Once again, the general opinion is divided between those who fear tensions between the Monegasque and the Briton, and others who instead see the new Ferrari duo as an ideal pair of drivers for the team’s resurgence after losing the Constructors’ title to McLaren. This latter view is also shared by Rob Smedley, who worked at Ferrari from 2004 to 2013.
Former track engineer for Felipe Massa, the Briton gave his opinion on what the coexistence between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton might be like, which, at first glance, reminds him of another relationship he witnessed directly during his time at Maranello: “It’s a completely different situation, but it’s like Massa in 2006 against Michael Schumacher,” he said on the podcast Formula for Success. “Felipe was the apprentice, and it was good that he was beaten by Michael, but towards the end of the year, he beat him in qualifying and even in some races.”
The potential advantages
A lineup that, according to Rob Smedley, will only bring advantages to the team: “We have a seven-time world champion, a young guy who can learn from him and eventually become a champion himself,” he clarified. “Charles will have an edge because he’ll be in a situation where he’ll experience a dynamic very different from what he lived, for example, with Carlos Sainz. They were two peers, both at a similar stage in their careers.”
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