Ferrari insider draws firm line on alleged preferential treatment for Hamilton

Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari placed his relationship with Charles Leclerc under the spotlight, with questions emerging over how the Scuderia would manage two drivers accustomed to competing at the highest level. The situation has also drawn attention to chairman John Elkann, amid speculation that he favours the seven-time world champion over his Monegasque teammate.

Those questions intensified following the Mexican Grand Prix, where a clash between Hamilton and Leclerc reportedly left Elkann frustrated with both drivers. Although Ferrari subsequently sought to move on from the incident and maintain its focus on the championship, the episode fuelled further speculation about the relationship between its drivers and the team's leadership.

However, Smedley, who spent a decade at Maranello before joining Williams, has dismissed suggestions that Elkann favours Hamilton or that divisions exist within the team. Drawing on his experience of Ferrari's internal workings, Smedley believes such claims misrepresent how the organisation operates.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, the Brit addressed the suggestion that Ferrari is divided into separate groups supporting Hamilton and Leclerc. The former race engineer insisted that the team operates under a unified management structure, with no evidence of the internal factions described in the speculation: "There aren't factions inside Ferrari. I can tell you that. I know them. John Elkann is not favouring Lewis."

Smedley explained that Ferrari's internal structure places Elkann at the top, followed by team principal Fred Vasseur and Lorenzo Giorgetti, who oversees the commercial side of the organisation. He emphasised that the drivers are part of the same system rather than operating within competing groups, with everyone ultimately expected to contribute to Ferrari's overall objectives.

The Briton's assessment draws on his extensive experience inside the Italian outfit, where he worked as Felipe Massa's race engineer during a period that included the Brazilian's narrow defeat to Hamilton in the 2008 world championship. Smedley subsequently followed Massa to Williams in 2014, having spent ten seasons working within Ferrari's Formula 1 operation.