Lewis Hamilton warned by… about…he must avoid playing at Ferrari. Read more
Lewis Hamilton has been cautioned by former Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley about the risks of bringing too many of his Mercedes team members with him to Ferrari next season. Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, is set to join the Italian team in 2024, but his long-time race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington and others from his core Mercedes crew will not be following him to Maranello, despite initial speculations.
Smedley, who worked at Ferrari for several years, shared his insights during the Formula For Success podcast. He advised that while Hamilton may be eager to bring along some familiar faces, it could potentially backfire. “When a seven-time world champion chooses your team to come and work at, I don’t think he needs to bring an entourage,” Smedley explained. He noted that Hamilton’s track record and reputation are enough to win over the Ferrari team without the need for bringing engineers or other staff members with him.
Smedley also emphasized that it could be a “dangerous game” to follow a driver from team to team. He pointed out that if things go wrong, or if Hamilton leaves Ferrari after a short stint, the personnel who followed him could be left in a difficult position. “If the driver falls out of favour or decides that after one year this is not for him, he can’t take the entourage with him,” Smedley warned.
While Hamilton’s personal management and fitness trainers, collectively known as “Team LH,” will be with him, he won’t have the technical staff he’s worked closely with at Mercedes. Smedley believes that Ferrari will embrace Hamilton based on his accomplishments and reputation, adding, “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.”
Despite the limited movement of personnel from Mercedes to Ferrari, Hamilton does have one key ally in Maranello – team principal Fred Vasseur. Hamilton and Vasseur share a strong relationship dating back to Hamilton’s junior career at ART Grand Prix, where the pair enjoyed significant success. The reunion with Vasseur is expected to ease Hamilton’s transition to the historic Italian team.
Reflecting on his move to Ferrari, Hamilton has expressed enthusiasm for the challenge. Earlier this year, he spoke about the allure of driving for Ferrari, a team he admired during his early years in the sport. “I think for every driver growing up, watching history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up and you see the driver in the red cockpit and you wonder what it’d be like to be surrounded by it,” Hamilton remarked in February.
He added that Ferrari’s rich history and the passion of its fanbase have always captivated him. While the team hasn’t experienced the same level of success since Schumacher’s dominance and their last championship in 2007, Hamilton sees this as a unique challenge and an opportunity to bring the team back to the top. “It is definitely a dream, and I am really, really excited about it,” Hamilton said.
Though Hamilton won’t have his usual support network from Mercedes in Ferrari’s garage, his determination and past relationship with Vasseur suggest he’s ready to take on the challenge.
