"If you're at Ferrari, the reason for your breathing is you win": Rob Smedley explains the psychology of working within the Italian squad

Former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley recently spoke about the extreme winning philosophy the Italian team has.

Ferrari is the most successful F1 team in the history of the sport. The team has won 16 constructors' and 15 drivers' championships. However, the last title they clinched was in 2008, more than a decade ago.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Smedley explained that the philosophy inside the Italian outfit is still all about winning. He stated that almost every team member needs to have that level of drive inside them. If not, then they are on the wrong team. Smedley said:

"If you're at Ferrari, your reason for breathing is that you win Grand Prixs and you win Formula One World Championships. Anything less if you're resting on that you're in the wrong business and you're definitely in the wrong part of the country to work in a Grand Prix team."

Rob Smedley also elaborated on how each team member at Ferrari needs to have a clear sense of where the team needs to head and keep working on solutions. He said:

"So I think every individual will know, but they've just got to be left to get on with it. They've got to have a clear direction from the top, a clear strategy, a clear set of benchmarks and solutions of how they're going to get through it, and then it's just a case of getting on with it and being brave, you know."

Though the Maranello-based team was able to fight for the championship in 2022, they made several mistakes that cost them massively. Now, in 2023, Red Bull have taken such a huge step forward, and the Italian team seem too far away from the mark to catch them.

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Fred Vasseur continues to support both Ferrari drivers equally

When Frederic Vasseur became the new team principal at Ferrari, he emphasized that he would not be picking favorites between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. He reiterated the point while speaking to AS. He appreciated both the drivers and how they can score points, podiums and win races, saying:

“You have to push with both drivers, and then the championship situation leads you to make decisions. We have two strong drivers who can score points, podiums and win races. And we have to use that as a resource. We can push hard with both of them."

Though there were speculations that the team might favor Charles Leclerc over Carlos Sainz, the team boss has clearly declared that after they enter the championship fight, the decisions might change according to the situation at the time.