The CEO of Formula 1 gave an interesting interview to GR Parlamento, discussing not only the exponential growth of the F1 brand but much more.
Formula 1 is in constant expansion, and the results speak for themselves. The brand of the world’s most important motorsport is significantly broadening its horizons, and the demand for Grands Prix in the near future is overwhelming. One of the likely sacrifices will be Imola, as announced by Domenicali during the interview. However, the F1 CEO also touched on other topics, starting with the sport’s expansion.
These were Stefano Domenicali’s words: “I believe that our current state allows us to think that what we’re witnessing today can grow even more. I’m convinced of it because I see the elements that can make this happen. We already have important markets, but compared to other sports, we are still small. I’m looking at the United States, the Americas, China, and new continents like Africa.
If we think only of the Middle East, where the first Grand Prix was held in 2004, there’s still room to grow—especially to attract new fans who may not currently be passionate about racing, but are drawn to what we’re able to offer. Today, Formula 1 is fun, engagement, entertainment, and from that perspective, I see plenty of room for growth.
And above all, what’s beautiful is that we want to make all the people who are part of our world the true protagonists—from the drivers, to the team principals, to the fans themselves. So there are many ingredients for growth, and we must keep flying. We certainly won’t stop, because Formula 1 is made of challenges.”
On Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari, he said: “I’m convinced this is an extraordinary sporting challenge with a world champion like Lewis Hamilton who, in the final stage of his extraordinary career, wants to achieve something that no one has ever done—throwing himself into such a difficult and new challenge in a completely different context.
I believe it can happen, it’s possible—but what we’ve seen in the first races of the season shows something important. Hamilton is working within extremely narrow margins, so winning right away is not at all easy. I think his strength and tenacity lie in his willingness to believe and grow together with the team.”
On the current season, he added: “We are very happy with a season that, every Sunday, keeps showing there’s always something new. A season where different drivers are winning, and the gaps are incredibly small. I remind our listeners that on Saturday, all the cars were within just one second and two tenths. Yesterday’s race was full of overtakes and plot twists, where we truly saw all the drivers fighting. It was a really beautiful weekend: I must say, here in Bahrain everything was perfectly organized, so let’s keep going down this path where, I repeat, something new happens every Sunday.”