However, Smedley will not work solely with Massa – who he once described as
“like my little brother” – as he oversees the performance of both
cars. He will officially join before the third race of the season at
Bahrain, in April.
Smedley’s recruitment is the latest in a series of changes designed to returns
Williams to the front, after a torrid period in recent seasons; a far cry
from their glory days in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Richard Lockwood has also joined Wililiams from Marussia as head of race
strategy.
Although the team enjoyed a mini-revival in 2012, with a win for Pastor
Maldonado in Barcelona, last year was spent fighting at the back of the
grid. However, the recruitment of former Renault engineering chief Pat
Symonds, Felipe Massa to partner Valtteri Bottas, and a promising pre-season
so far has left the Grove-based team in relatively buoyant mood.
Before Smedley’s switch was officially confirmed, Massa said the man he worked
with from 2006 could bring a lot to Williams.
“He’s somebody that knows me 100 per cent and understands a lot about the
car”, Massa said in Bahrain at pre-season testing.
“He is very intelligent and understands a lot of things that are important
to be competitive. I always have a great relationship with him. He’s more
than just a great engineer.
“Rob knows me a lot, maybe more than I believe, and this is always important.
He can help us [Williams] a lot.”