Rob Smedley spent twenty years in Formulation One, with a memorable 10 years at .
For a lot of that point, he was the calming voice in ’s ear as his race engineer. There is no such thing as a query, although, concerning the 9 months that the majority defines his time in F1.
On the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos on Nov 2, 2008, Massa misplaced the world drivers’ championship by a single level.
got here on the final lap of the ultimate race of the yr and simply 20 seconds after Massa had crossed the road victorious in his residence race.
For a quick second, Massa’s household believed he was world champion earlier than a merciless actuality dawned. Hamilton went on to win one other six titles, however this was Massa’s final grand prix victory.
On today in 2008, Lewis Hamilton received his first F1 World Championship on the final nook of the final lap in Brazil 🏆🇧🇷
Beating Felipe Massa by simply 1 level. Ferrari could not consider it 😤
9 months on from that heartbreak got here a when Massa ran over a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn throughout qualifying.
It flicked in the direction of the Ferrari cockpit and pierced Massa’s helmet, knocking him unconscious, inflicting a ugly head damage. He was airlifted to intensive care and didn’t race once more till the beginning of the next season.
I perceive folks would possibly say why the over response over a chunk of steel with smoke on monitor , they did not imply to focus on anybody with it , here’s a reminder what small piece of steel ( springs ) smaller than a flare Can did to Massa when a automobile shifting at 320km/h
Smedley’s time at Ferrari started close to the tip of the staff’s golden period, the place was backed by the likes of technical director Ross Brawn, staff principal Jean Todt and designer Rory Byrne, profitable 5 double titles between 2000 and 2004.
Smedley can nonetheless recall a second of panic after signing his contract at Brawn’s home in 2003. “I instantly mentioned, ‘Ross, I don’t communicate Italian, so I feel it’s going to be an issue’. He mentioned, ‘You don’t want to fret about it as a result of everyone speaks English’.
“What I discovered inside hours of beginning to work there was that everyone spoke English to Ross, as a result of he labored there as technical director up within the stratosphere. However to me as a lowly race engineer, no person spoke English.
“I needed to be taught the language. I type of ditched classes and realized all my Italian from the mechanics. So now apparently after I communicate Italian I’ve a really Modenese accent.”
‘Massa would have overwhelmed Hamilton if Ferrari nonetheless had Ross Brawn’
After shifting from the take a look at to the race staff, Smedley was promoted to change into Massa’s race engineer mid-way by 2006 – the Brazilian’s first season on the Scuderia and Schumacher’s final.
By means of eight collectively seasons at Ferrari, they developed a robust relationship that helped Massa to 11 race wins, however a drivers’ championship was by no means to be.
This weekend marks 16 years since Massa’s bittersweet celebration on the Interlagos podium and Smedley is frank in his evaluation of what went mistaken that season.
“We should always have received that world championship. A really agency motive that we didn’t was as a result of Ross wasn’t there any extra,” Smedley tells Telegraph Sport.
“Ross was such a robust hand on the tiller in all the time making the smart selections, all the time wanting on the lengthy sport, all the time all the pieces from a world championship perspective, slightly than what we are able to do on that day and that weekend.
“If Ross was there we in all probability would have been pushing as onerous, however in all probability would have made fewer errors that we made as a staff all year long,” Smedley says.
Schumacher’s departure left a gaping chasm at Ferrari
Certainly, in the case of missteps, Massa’s Ferrari leaving the Singapore pit lane with the gasoline hose nonetheless connected was as defining a picture of the season as these emotional scenes in Sao Paulo.
Brawn’s departure on the finish of 2006 got here concurrently Schumacher’s, that means Ferrari misplaced two of the cornerstones of their domination in brief order.
Schumacher’s absence additionally left a gap that was begging to be crammed, with Ferrari striving to rekindle their success after Fernando Alonso and Renault cleaned up in 2005 and 2006.
“How do you change Michael within the automobile? It in all probability modified [the situation] a little bit bit for us as a result of Felipe was very a lot within the shadow of Michael while Michael was driving.
“Michael had all of the medals, the championships and had completely nothing to show,” Smedley says. “His work ethic was unquestioned, his stage of element was completely past evaluate. His precision, his mind – the truth that he was all the time at 100 per cent.”
Kimi Raikkonen received the drivers’ title in his first yr at Ferrari, as McLaren imploded by the twin crises of spygate and Fernando Alonso’s wrecking-ball method to staff concord. In 2008 Massa, although, was the primary challenger to a McLaren the place the emergent Hamilton was the clear No 1.
Smedley seems again with satisfaction on that season and the truth that Massa was capable of attain that stage at Ferrari regardless of a “rocky” begin on the staff. Ferrari too, received the constructors’ championship – their most up-to-date F1 title of any form.
“Of what Felipe and the staff did, I’m very proud. I’m proud I performed a small half in that. Once I took on the function of being Felipe’s race engineer, the senior administration of the staff had been not sure whether or not they would signal a contract with him to increase for one more yr in 2007.
“By the tip of the yr they had been resolute that this was any person who was going to have a very good future at Ferrari they usually signed a two-year contract with him. Two years later we’re one level away from profitable the world championship.”
‘If that spring was 5mm to the correct, he wouldn’t nonetheless be right here’
The ache of shedding that championship in such a merciless means is one factor, however Massa’s accident on the Hungaroring the next season made Smedley query whether or not he wished to hold on in motorsport in any respect.
“Felipe continues to be with us right this moment as a result of the gods, or no matter you consider in, appeared down and determined that it wasn’t his day,” Smedley says. “If that spring was 5mm extra to the right-hand aspect he wouldn’t have been – that to me was an actual wake-up name.”
5 years later Ferrari academy driver on the Japanese Grand Prix after his Marussia slid backwards right into a restoration automobile in treacherous situations. He spent 9 months in a coma however died in 2015.
“By 2014 Jules was a very good good friend of mine so to lose him in a race automobile was very, very onerous to come back to phrases with, but additionally, I type of reconciled myself to the hazards of it due to 2009.
“I made a aware determination to proceed as a result of in 2009 after Hungary I completely questioned whether or not or not I wished to hold on. It was a very, actually darkish second for me.”
Smedley left Ferrari in 2013, shifting with Massa to Williams earlier than main F1’s technical and information aspect of operations for 2 seasons.
His present venture is the International Karting League, which is aimed toward figuring out and creating expertise on the grass-roots, in addition to widening participation in an more and more costly and inaccessible sport.
Regardless of a formidable CV, Smedley says he by no means felt like he actually ‘made it’. “Each single day of my life I feel I’ve acquired one thing to show – there’s all the time the imposter syndrome happening,” he says.
“I feel you’ve all the time acquired to show your self on this atmosphere and that’s one thing I personally relish and luxuriate in.
“Positively, after I went with Ferrari… I labored at Stewart after which I had a very good run at Jordan. That was an incredible atmosphere for me with Eddie Jordan selling younger guys into extra senior positions and seeing in the event that they sank or swam. Hopefully, I did alright.
“F1 as a sport is brutal in that means; no person cares about what you probably did yesterday, folks solely care about what you’re doing right this moment and tomorrow.”
