It is approaching five years since Stefano Domenicali was appointed president and chief executive officer of Formula 1. In that time, the racing series has “evolved massively with a speed that I was not expecting,” he said in an interview in August.
The calendar has expanded to 24 Grands Prix, from 22 in 2021. There are now three in the United States, with the two new events on the calendar — in Miami and Las Vegas — joining the longstanding one in Austin, Texas. And Formula 1 has introduced six sprint races, which are one-third the distance of a Grand Prix.
Next season, the grid expands to 11 teams with the addition of Cadillac, attracted by new engine regulations, which have also enticed Audi to enter Formula 1 for the first time — taking over the Sauber organization — and prompted Ford to partner with Red Bull. The regulations, effective in 2026, will result in cars that use less fuel and are more environmentally friendly, Formula 1 says.
“F1 racing is technology, but it has evolved into a world of entertainment, capturing new fans, new partners, new content, with the reward being massive in terms of revenues and growth, which have been tremendously strong in the last five years,” Domenicali said.
“Drive to Survive,” the behind-the-scenes Netflix documentary series about Formula 1 that started in 2019, opened a new window on the sport and attracted a wider audience and demographic. This year, “F1: The Movie,” starring Brad Pitt, added to the allure.
“Our younger audience is growing,” Domenicali said. “We believe we are capturing fans who will become avid for the longer term.
“The health and attractiveness of our sport can also be witnessed by the fact we have never had so many partnerships. This, for me, is a sign that we are doing the right thing to be even stronger in the future.”
Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal, said Domenicali should be praised for leading the growth of the sport.
“The success of the Formula 1 business at the moment should not be taken for granted,” Stella said at a news conference in August. “Not all sports are having this kind of success across the board.”
Formula 1 tried and failed to expand in the U.S. market when Bernie Ecclestone, its former chief executive, was in charge — before the Liberty Media Corporation completed a takeover in 2017. But now the American market is booming.
One of the reasons, Domenicali said, is that Formula 1 had to be more visible than visiting just once a year in Austin.
“From one Grand Prix, we moved straightaway, in the blink of an eye, to three, and very successfully,” he said. “We needed to respect the fact that in the U.S., American sports are in another league when it comes to culture and the attention on it. Sport in the U.S. is something that is lived every day.”
In the United States, “from the moment you wake up, you are bombarded with sporting news that creates that culture,” Domenicali said. “We are doing the right thing in terms of relevance, with ‘Drive to Survive’ and with the F1 movie providing food for thought, something to discuss.”
Domenicali said Formula 1 had only started to scratch the surface in the United States, particularly in educating its audience.
“It’s up to us, and everyone involved in the sport, to explain who we really are,” he said. “Because we are not yet there, for the majority of our fans, to get into our sport. It is an incredible opportunity for us to explain, ‘What is Formula 1?’”
This will involve explaining some basics that many fans may take for granted, Domenicali said.
“We know what is inside a car,” he said. “A lot of people don’t need to think about it. When we talk about a gearbox, we know what it is, but in certain markets, they don’t.”
He recalled a conversation he had with friends in the United States.
“I was asked an incredible question,” he said. “‘Do the drivers need to comply with the speed limits on the streets when they’re racing?’ Oh my God! That tells us that we need to be very open-minded to get into the heads and the hearts of the American fans.”
There is, Domenicali said, “an incredible opportunity to do something about it, but we need to be careful in believing that all the people know what we are talking about, and that we have to try to be simple.”
Education will be particularly important next season so that fans understand the new V6 engine rules, which will mandate an even split between combustion and electrical power. The sport will also use 100 percent sustainable fuel.
But there is added complexity. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the F.I.A., the sport’s governing body, has proposed changing the regulations again in 2030 — returning to V8 engines — to save costs.
“It was an idea,” Ben Sulayem said at a media gathering at Silverstone in July. “The current engine is so complicated, and it is costly. R&D is reaching $200 million, and the engine is costing approximately $1.8 to $2.1, so if we go with a straight V8, let’s see.”
A team uses at least three engines in a season. “Many of the manufacturers are producing V8s with their cars, so commercially it’s correct,” Ben Sulayem continued. “It is the right thing for the teams to sustain their business. Everything becomes much cheaper, and the teams can afford it.”
Domenicali said the regulations for next year were introduced to ensure Formula 1 remains attractive to the manufacturers, with sustainable fuel and hybridization “absolutely critical to keep them interested.”
But Domenicali said he understood Ben Sulayem’s idea, as Formula 1 always has to think one step ahead.
“This way of thinking for the future will allow us to retain the involvement of the manufacturers,” Domenicali said. “If we’re able to do sustainable fuel, a lighter car, a V8 with hybrid, because hybrid is the future, then the manufacturers will stay in Formula 1.”
If not, he said, “we need to be ready to do what is important by simplifying things and keeping the technology relevant. By doing that, we will be able to find the right solution.”
The sport will also need to keep reinventing itself, as it has been doing, Domenicali said. One example is adding more sprint races, which were introduced in 2021 and have been a success. Formula 1, the F.I.A. and the teams have talked about adding even more.
Domenicali has also proposed having teams earn points for practice sessions, to make those sessions more relevant. At a Grand Prix that holds a sprint, there is one practice; at the others there are three, all one-hour long.
“With regard to a different format, I would say that we need to think about what to do,” he said. “We have discussed ideas that are really crazy, but could be relevant for being attractive in the future.
“The more we are able to remove our conventionality, the better we will be in being able to keep the attention of mainly the young generation of fans who always need to be attracted to something new.”
Stella said the teams had to embrace change if the growth of Formula 1 was to be sustained. “We understand that the fandom has changed, and it could be there’s a need to review the way we approach practice, the way we approach the entire race weekend,” he said.
“Obviously, we will try to be reasonable. We will try and protect some elements of the DNA of Formula 1, but definitely, it’s part of our responsibility to contribute. This is something we discussed recently, and it’s always going to be at the top of the agenda.”
In March, Domenicali extended his contract through 2029. He is now in what he calls the second phase of his term in office, the last few months of which have been far different from when he started.
“F1 has evolved, passing through Covid,” he said. “When I came in, we were in the middle of that difficult time, but now the health of Formula 1 is really good.”
As always, Domenicali said, “When the status is great, you need to make sure the foundations remain solid, to tackle what I believe will be the continued growth of our sport.”
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