Source: REUTERS/Florion Goga
[Saba Sports News] Former Ferrari star engineer Rob Smedley unveiled the cruel truth behind Lewis Hamilton’s continuous slump after joining the Ferrari team – the driving style of this seven-time F1 champion fundamentally conflicts with the rear of Ferrari SF-25 car. In a podcast, this technical expert who once assisted Felipe Massa to create brilliance pointed out: “When Hamilton cannot perceive the rear of the car, his talent instantly disappears.” Smedley analyzed Hamilton’s core issue, pointing out that his hallmark high-speed cornering requires a rock-solid rear support. However, the Ferrari car’s persistent rear sliding in medium and high-speed corners completely destroyed the British driver’s spatial perception ability. This explains why Charles Leclerc can occasionally handle this fiery steed; the Monaco driver is more accustomed to adjusting immediately through steering feedback, whereas Hamilton relies on muscle memory-based car dynamics prediction. Smedley stated that the gap between them could be only 0.2-0.3 seconds per lap, but this is enough to turn a champion driver into an average driver. As the F1 summer break approaches, if Ferrari Team does not quickly solve this subtle matching problem, Hamilton’s dream of becoming an eight-time champion might end tragically.