UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
AT THE START OF THIS YEAR Stefano Domenicali joined the Formula 1 organisation as its new CEO, and is only its third ever top man after Bernie Ecclestone and Chase Carey.
The Italian brings with him an impressive CV and depth of experience gained in racing and the wider motor industry, and along the way he’s soaked up knowledge and sharpened his leadership skills.
What hasn’t changed is the upbeat personality that helped to ensure that he was a universally popular choice as successor to the efficient but dour Carey. Domenicali is a glass-half-full guy; his default setting a welcoming smile. The 56-year-old possesses a ready charm that came in very useful when as Ferrari team manager he had to resolve the latest controversy with the stewards.
At heart he remains a racing fan, one of the few senior people in the F1 world who has actually paid to watch races from trackside. So how safe is the future of the sport in his hands?
“When you’re a guy born in Imola, you were raised up with the perfume, the smell of the oil, of the fuel, and the engine sound of the bikes and the cars,” he recalls. “When I was a kid I already was in love with motor sport in general. I was attending races with the general admission at the Tosa corner with my friends, staying there all night long.
“Then when I was at college, I was helping the organisation during the racing weekends. I was actually parking the trucks, I was checking the passes inside the paddock. That’s
