Former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley has spoken extremely of present group principal Fred Vasseur, describing him as one of many choose few people he would take into account working with within the System 1 paddock right this moment.
Smedley stepped away from the team-focused facet of System 1 in 2019 following a tenure at Williams, the place he served as head of auto efficiency. Since then, he has transitioned into roles centered on information evaluation inside System 1 itself and co-founded a karting league, aiming to foster the following era of motorsport expertise. Regardless of this profession shift, Smedley revealed that he continues to obtain job affords from throughout the F1 paddock.
Ex-Ferrari Engineer Praises Vasseur’s Management Type
Rob Smedley, who labored as Felipe Massa’s race engineer throughout his time at Ferrari, expressed that he was “completely sure” about his resolution to go away the group facet of the game after departing Williams. His subsequent focus has been on initiatives aimed toward supporting younger drivers, together with his present function as CEO of the F.A.T Karting League. The league is designed to make grassroots motorsport extra inclusive and accessible, offering budding racers with a clearer pathway into skilled motorsport.
Whereas Rob Smedley kept away from disclosing particulars concerning the affords he continues to obtain from the paddock, he commented on Ferrari’s progress below Fred Vasseur’s steerage. Reflecting on his interactions with the French supervisor away from the racetrack, Smedley highlighted the Ferrari group principal’s management qualities, emphasizing that his strategy to group administration makes him one of many uncommon people Rob Smedley would take into account collaborating with within the fast-paced world of System 1.
On the *Crimson Flags* podcast, Rob Smedley expressed his admiration for Fred Vasseur, stating that he held an excessive amount of respect for him and the work he’s doing. Smedley defined that, regardless of having moved away from team-side roles, he nonetheless receives affords from System 1 groups and makes use of a private metric to judge them: whether or not he would wish to work for the group in query. He famous that Fred Vasseur is somebody he would select to work with, attributing this to each their social rapport and his perception that they might collaborate successfully in an expert setting.
The British automotive engineer who works for the System One Group praised the French supervisor’s intelligence and disarming nature, describing these traits as essential for a frontrunner working within the high-pressure world of System 1. He emphasised that profitable people within the sport are already below immense stress and don’t want further stress imposed by their leaders. In line with Rob Smedley, Frederic Vasseur excels at shielding his group from pointless stress, taking duty when wanted, and fostering a supportive setting.
He went on to focus on Frederic Vasseur’s means to stability accountability with empathy, declaring that his actions again up his phrases in how he manages individuals. Rob Smedley additionally remarked on Fred Vasseur’s deep understanding of what it takes to construct a profitable System 1 group, a high quality he implied will not be universally shared amongst group principals. In his view, the Ferrari group boss stands out as one of many uncommon leaders who really grasps the intricacies of attaining success within the sport.