Yahoo Autos Former Ferrari Racing Boss Picked to Lead Formula 1
Chase Carey has led F1 as CEO since Liberty Media took ownership of Formula 1 in 2016.
Domenicali returns to Formula 1 after serving in leadership roles at Audi and Lamborghini the past six years.
The new boss will team with former Ferrari runningmate Ross Brawn to lead Formula 1 starting in January.
Come January, Stefano Domenicali will be the new face of Formula 1 leadership.
Domenicali, most recently the CEO of Lamborghini and former team principal with the Ferrari F1 team, will take over as president and CEO of Formula 1, replacing Chase Carey. Carey will become the series' non-executive chairman.
Carey has led F1 since replacing Bernie Ecclestone in 2016.
The move was announced on Friday morning on the Formula 1 website.
Domincali, 55, is no stranger to the working of Formula 1. He was with Ferrari from 1991 until 2014.
"I am thrilled to join the Formula 1 organization, a sport that has always been part of my life,” said Domenicali. “I was born in Imola (Italy) and live in Monza. I’ve remained connected to the sport through my work with the Single Seater Commission at the FIA and I look forward to connecting with the teams, promoters, sponsors and many partners in Formula 1 as we continue to drive the business ahead.
“The past six years at Audi and then leading Lamborghini have given me broader perspective and experience that I will bring to Formula 1.”
The news was greeted favorably in the F1 paddock at Sochi, Russia, on Friday.
"This is an important day for our sport, with the announcement from Liberty Media that Stefano Domenicali will take on the role of president and CEO of Formula 1," said Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto. "On behalf of Ferrari, I would first like to thank Chase Carey. There have been many positive changes made to the sport under his leadership, in particular the promoter’s relationship with the teams. Very important decisions have been taken concerning the future of Formula 1, such as the new Concorde Agreement and the creation of an operational structure that will help the sport grow in terms of its audience and its appeal to the younger generations.
"And let’s not forget that Formula 1 has managed to put on a World Championship this year under very difficult circumstances. We very much appreciate the fact that continuity is assured as Chase stays on as the non-executive chairman of Formula 1."
"We are very pleased that Chase’s role will be entrusted to Stefano as from 1st January. His talents as a manager and especially his knowledge of the sport, combined with his experience and personal qualities, make him the ideal choice to carry on Chase’s reforms. Personally, it will be a pleasure for me to work with a good friend, as we came through the ranks at Ferrari together. I look forward to working along with all the other stakeholders in this sport and with him to make Formula 1 even stronger and more spectacular."
Back at Formula 1, Domenicali will reunite with current F1 sporting director Ross Brawn. The two worked together at Ferrari in the 2000s.
"Chase has been and is still the CEO of Formula 1, and I think it’s important to mention he has done a great job and is still doing a great job in order to plan the future, together with us, of Formula 1, which is looking great from our point of view with all the changes that are coming but if Chase would decide to step down, or decides he’s had enough of all of us, I think Stefano would be a great choice," said McLaren F1 team principal Andreas Seidl. "I think he has everything you need to have to run Formula 1. And then my personal experience also with Stefano, during my time at Porsche is simply that he’s a great personality, a great character and I benefited a lot also, working on special projects with him, from his experiences so we would definitely welcome Stefano taking over this position."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also gave the Domenicali news a thumbs up, despite his roots with rival Ferrari.
"I think it’s great for the sport," Horner said. "He’s one of the good guys. Having competed against him, when he was the team principal of Ferrari, he has a lot of integrity, he was a racer, a competitor, he understands the business. Obviously he’s spent life in a commercial world outside of Formula 1 for the last few years.
"He’s done a great job at Lamborghini and I think that he would be a real asset to Formula 1. Obviously you would look at the make-up at the top end of the sport with Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Stefano and it looks like a mid-1990s or early -2000s (Ferrari) set-up, but I don’t think that there’s any particular bias or love towards Ferrari from any of those individuals, so I’m sure Stefano will be—if he takes the role—would be scrutinous in his impartiality."
