Smedley Reflects on Hamilton's Communication Struggles: "It Hurts to Hear That Response"

Rob Smedley, who spent considerable time engineering at Ferrari, has opened up about his reaction to the radio communications that took place between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer Ricardo Adami throughout 2025.

The experienced engineer admitted that witnessing certain conversations between the driver and Adami left him with a sense of unease. Specifically, Smedley expressed his discomfort with instances where vague responses were offered when more concrete answers were needed.

"It pains me when I hear 'we'll get back to you,'" Smedley remarked, highlighting the particular phrase that stood out to him during those radio exchanges. His criticism points to a broader concern about the effectiveness of communication under the pressure of race conditions, where clarity and immediate feedback are crucial for driver performance and decision-making.

The comments from Smedley, drawing on his extensive experience working at the highest levels of Formula 1, suggest that the nature of dialogue between Hamilton and his engineering team may have presented challenges that could impact both driver confidence and strategic execution during races.