Crucial person at Ferrari identified as Lewis Hamilton arrives in Italy

Rome: Fred Vasseur’s leadership has been pinpointed as a crucial strength at Ferrari ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s arrival.

Hamilton will get behind the wheel of a Ferrari for the first time in the coming week at Fiorano in Italy.

He will drive one of the team’s old F1 cars as he visits Maranello for the first time, having made a major switch from Mercedes.

A former Ferrari stalwart insists their team principal is a key cog to what Hamilton will find.

“I like Fred. I have got a lot of time for Fred and for what he’s doing,” said Rob Smedley, who was Felipe Massa’s race engineer, to the Red Flags podcast.

“I am fortunate or unfortunate enough to get offers from F1 teams, and my barometer is ‘would I work for them?’

“There are not many people who I would. But Fred, I would.

“He is very straight talking, he brings humility.

“He is intelligent but also disarming, and that’s a good quality to have for a top manager in a pressure cooker.

“You don’t need pressure, the people who succeed in F1 don’t need more pressure!

“If you are successful in F1, there will be no stronger critic than you yourself.

“Fred has done a good job in demonstrating that, and looking after people.

“You can’t say it’s a no blame environment then, when something f*** up, someone is out of the door!

“Fred is good at looking after his people. He knows what is needed to make a success.”

‘Not all F1 team principals know what it takes’

“You’d be surprised,” Smedley claimed.

“Not every F1 team principal knows what it takes to make a successful team.”

He mentioned Ross Brawn, who was integral to Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari heyday, and who later led Honda.

“Ross is a superstar, it speaks for itself. I learned from Ross and Jean Todt,” Smedley said.

“They mentored me, they took me under their wing.

“The current crop? Toto Wolff is a superb manager. He gets it.

“Go back 10 years, where he lacked in experience he makes up for it with intellect, grit and a will to win.

“The new guys? Andrea Stella is an ex-colleague and friend from Ferrari. He is very considered. He builds a lot of trust and confidence.

“He is very sensible, he doesn’t try to do things which are off the map or crazy.”