“They’re Ruthless”-Former Ferrari Engineer Advises Carlos Sainz to “Grow Thick Skin”

Former Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley’s advice to Carlos Sainz before joining Ferrari is to “grow thick skin”. Smedley opened up on the pressure and expectations of driving for the Maranello outfit. While the limelight is firmly on Charles Leclerc, it’ll be interesting to see how Sainz copes with the expectations of the Scuderia.

How will Sainz cope with the pressure of driving for Ferrari?

With Sainz joining Ferrari, many fans and experts have been questioning and predicting his role within the team. Some say the Spaniard is a firm number 2 to Charles Leclerc, while others maintain that Carlos isn’t one to write off. Ferrari would prefer favoring Leclerc, considering they’ve signed the young Monegasque on an unprecedented 5-year contract.

While the pressure and expectations are firmly on Leclerc next season, Sainz must also rise to the occasion and deliver under immense scrutiny. The 25-year-old has driven for numerous teams before but Ferrari is a different breed of an F1 team. There’s a responsibility to bear when driving the iconic red car. Moreover, the expectation to deliver is ever-present. Win and you’re expected to keep winning, and losing entails being vilified by the passionate fans.

Smedley on Sainz

Smedley’s seen both sides of the coin as he worked with the Scuderia during their dominant run in F1 and the following period of struggle. The Briton advised Sainz to cope with everything that’s going to be thrown at him next season and in the near future. Speaking to the F1 Nation podcast, Smedley said:

“Grow thick skin, you’re gonna need it”

“Ferrari becomes a part of you and there are wonderful and really amazing things about Ferrari”

“and there are some dreadful things about Ferrari”

“[In] Ferrari, there are is no second best, second-best is never good enough, it’s kind of a culture that’s built-in Mercedes now”

“Definitely with Ferrari you’ve got the added pressure of the media and the fans”

“It’s a national institution, it’s your religion”

“That pressure never ever goes away and people know who you are”

“At the same time, it’s an incredible place to work”

“They’re relentless and ruthless in their pursuit to win” concluded Smedley.

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