Former Ferrari F1 Boss Urges Sport to Reshape Itself During Hiatus

Former Ferrari F1 boss Stefano Domenicali has urged Formula 1 to reshape the sport. The COVID-19 enforced hiatus provides ample opportunity to do so and help improve it.

The Lamborghini CEO suggested that the coronavirus’ effect on the global financial structure should galvanise teams to push for reform.

“This is a take it or leave it opportunity and you cannot leave it, you need to take it,” he told Autosport. “Otherwise the risk will be very high of it not returning to be the platform it was.

“We mustn’t forget that if I look at the number of tickets that were sold for the grands prix that were due to take place up to now, they were incredibly high.

“This was the situation before the crisis and it’s the duty of all the stakeholders to ensure that this kind of attention will be there after the crisis.”

In addition to that, the FIA must be willing to use its new ‘safeguard’ clause. The prime opportunity to do so, will be at the World Motor Sport Council meeting.

What does the ex Ferrari F1 boss think?

He believes that it would be ‘criminal’ to let the chance slip. Formula One is not perfect and obviously has areas that it needs to improve. The Italian continued, “Therefore we are really working in these weeks to make sure we can present to the FIA World Council in June, ideas that we were discussing but always postponing because the system was accepting that when the [economic] situation was really good.

Furthermore, he wishes that the entire motorsport industry uses the crisis as “an opportunity to reshape” itself for the future. Domenicali insisted that motorsport will always be an essential part into the future. However, in short term, everyone needs to reassess the level of investment, technology and the number of championships.

As a parting note, he said, “We need to have a baseline zero to consider how we build back up. Considering that over the next couple of years the situation will improve. Motorsport will remain a very important platform for our industry.”