Lewis Hamilton gained important support in the fight for the Formula 1 title in 2026. Rob Smedley, former race engineer in the category, believes that Ferrari needs to start working primarily for the Briton if they want to keep chances of winning the championship this year.
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Hamilton is in third place in the drivers’ championship, behind Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, but is tied on points with the Mercedes driver. Furthermore, the seven-time world champion currently has a 28-point lead over Charles Leclerc, his teammate.
In Smedley’s assessment, this scenario is already enough to justify a clearer strategy within Ferrari: “My opinion from the start has always been that if Ferrari wants to have an impact in this world championship, they need to support Lewis,” he said on the High Performance Racing podcast.
The former engineer acknowledged that prioritizing Hamilton would not be simple for Leclerc or for those working with the Monegasque, but highlighted each driver’s performance this season: “Lewis had the best streak and did the best job. And I think if they are going to take points from Mercedes, they will do it as a team,” he said.
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The issue gained even more relevance at the Dutch GP, when Hamilton asked the team for Leclerc to let him through after considering he had more pace. Leclerc ended up giving up the position during his pit stop, but Ferrari’s delay in acting was pointed out by some as a possible reason Hamilton missed the opportunity to finish P3.
Smedley believes Ferrari needs to take advantage of races where their car is in a position to win: “They don’t have the best car consistently, but on some occasions they have the best car, and they will make it count. In those situations, they will ensure Lewis wins,” he added.
For the other races, the recommendation is equally straightforward, that is, to maximize Hamilton’s points. “This approach represents doing what is sensible for the team, and trying to maximize Ferrari’s position in the world championship,” Smedley concluded.
