“Hamilton WANTS to WIN” 🏆 | David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan and Rob Smedley on how to fix Ferrari 🏎️

Former Ferrari, Williams, Jordan Grand Prix engineer, Rob Smedley, returns to FFS to catch up with DC and EJ. Rob believes that Lewis Hamilton's resurgence this season will carry into 2025, positioning Ferrari to challenge McLaren and Red Bull for the championship title.

Plus, Rob shares his activities outside of F1, including the launch of the Global Karting League (GKL), aimed at creating an affordable pathway for children aspiring to enter the world of motorsport.

Listen to brand new episodes of FFS! every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you get your podcasts.

Produced by Whisper.

[madjayax]

100% agreed with Rob. Hamilton is still in his primed condition even today. Why? This is about prime: a driver/rider/athlete can't lose his/her talent. However, he/she can lose or experience decline on performance supports e.g., energy, movement capacity, reaction times, spatial awareness, and etc. A driver/rider/athlete no longer in his/her prime if he/she lose or doesn't have enough of these performances to show his/her absolute best. Hamilton is definitely not lacking any of these.

[funnyshish]

People said George was going to walk all over Lewis but that hasn’t worked out and now Merc are resorting to dodgy strategy calls to try help George overcome the deficit. With Lewis on a 3 year contract there’s no incentive to favour Charles and Lewis’s race pace is still good even if he loses in every qualifying.

[JBOB]

Thanks Rob for being honest and factual

[williamshaneblyth]

Lewis is working very hard at learning Italian thats a massive sign of respect that the team will love. hes hard at it It shows he is very very keen to fit in and is willing to do the hard yards in multiplt areas. Hes always wanted to race with Ferrari. Hes got a deeo passion for it

[Jackster]

The LH hate is oooozing out of EJ’s ears😂😂😂😂 Good thing for Rob to set the old man straight☺️

[Thdlsicnekslfjeindk]

New-ish fan, never heard of Rob …. What a legend!!! Anyone who is self aware and wants to lift the less privileged and connected up has my respect

[e.]

In 2025 I'd love to see Hamilton+Leclerc to find themselves in a similar situation like McLaren this year. I'm 100% sure that neither Hamilton nor Leclerc would accept any team orders as long as there is the slightest chance of winning the WDC

...in a Ferrari for the first time since 2007. There's Hamilton in the position as the "old master" trying to prove he's the g.o.a.t., and there's Leclerc who wants to show that he's the future and beat the guy who dominated the sport for so many years in a row.

[astroshooter]

Ham will make the team operation work for him.

[MikeCaffyn]

Could listen to Ron forever. Such a wonderful contrast to EJ.

[raimonddeieso]

100K a year to go carting really, get in the real world how many families can afford this, so many talented kids miss out on these opportunities due to making this exclusive sport

[Housestationlive]

remove the 9 rivals. ferrari is not bad. but competition is fierce.

[GraemeMarshall-uw]

Not a Lewis fan but he is one of the best drivers whatching him in a bad car he has driven magnificently

[landofasterthanmax]

Eddie Jordan’s hate towards Lewis should be studied

[siteshnarayangautam]

Its something about French Team Principals and Ferrai that goes hand in hand....now you just meed a star Driver, you have two of them, and great car dev team.

What Fred has done this year is remarkably respectable. Bringing back the moral of the team and Tufosi, at Monaco a d Monza is big. This is how you get ur act together, aim small miss small. Now they can develop from next year.

[davyboy]

Why does everything have to 'lead to F1' ? People don't play football to become one of twenty millionaire Man City players. Why can't kids and adults enjoy kart racing for what it is - a great sport ? I've been involved in kart racing for over 40 years [even raced against DC himself !] and like the thousands of people there don't have motorhomes, mechanics etc... and don't spend £100K/year ! Down through the years, the world's best kart drivers actually never stepped out of the sport - Mickey Allen, Terry Fullerton, Mike Wilson, Davide Fore, Massimiliano Orsini. If you stay in kart racing you will have the best time. 'The road to F1' will always lead to disappointment for virtually everyone that attempts it.

[senninhapsx]

Alonso and Vettel both chose Ferrari and walked away empty handed 🤷🏻‍♂️ and both were much younger than Hamilton!

[timbennett]

Rob, you should return and be engineer for Lewis. We’ll also get to hear your classic radio quips.

[eastbaystreet]

Lewis has a natural, sweet side. I think he will become close with the team and Charles, while still able to fight on track with Charles. This could turn out to be some really amazing chemistry, team-wide. Most of us have been through this in our lives: we fight like hell with our close buddies on the court, which actually builds camaraderie, and we are best buddies off court.

[gusmontenegro]

I'm a merc fan but I have to say one thing Ferrari is third now but THIS YEAR is the only too 3 team that apparently hasn't been caught cheating Red Bull with those brakes and McLaren with those flexible wing have certainly had an advantage

[jkbzz]

Eddie, Lewis never thought or said anything that alluded to him walking all over Charles.

And honestly i don't understand why you would try to contrast Charles "the nice guy" Leclerc to im guessing Lewis "the not so nice guy" Hamilton.

I wouldn't use word such as you being "hateful" but that was totally unnecessary. That wasn't asking a question, that was easily trying to cast Lewis in a negative light by contrasting both drivers, not fair. Absolutely nothing thus far from Lewis career has suggested he is not a nice guy. In addition, F1 drivers are not paid to be nice guys, they are paid to drive F1 cars fast, really fast everything else is irrelevant.