15/09/2022
NEWS STORY
F1 boss, Stefano Domenicali is determined to 'spice-up' F1, and hasn't given up on reverse grids.
When Stefano Domenicali was announced as the new CEO of F1, the move was warmly greeted by the paddock and fans alike.
This was a man who had spent 24 years with Ferrari, starting off in the finance department, then running the Mugello circuit, before returning to Maranello, initially as head of personnel in its sporting division.
There followed promotion to the role of team manager, logistics manager and sporting director before finally being appointed director of the F1 team, the role having previously been held by Jean Todt.
Leaving Ferrari in 2014 he joined Audi, whilst also being appointed head of the FIA's single-seater commission. Two years later he left Audi to join Lamborghini as CEO.
In late 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic he was appointed CEO of the Formula One Group, replacing Chase Carey.
Here is a man who has F1 in his DNA, who has racing fuel - albeit sustainable - instead of blood… our sport was going to be in good hands.
Or so we thought.
Since taking over at F1, Domenicali has become Mr Corporate, yet another man in grey seemingly determined to wring every last cent out of the sport, while forgetting what caused him to fall in love with it in the first place.
Indeed, only last month, amidst growing fears over the direction the sport is taking, he insisted he was not selling the sport's soul, only to subsequently suggest that there should only be one 'traditional' free practice session, with an element of competition, most likely by means of awarding points, introduced to any other sessions ahead of qualifying.
"Free practice is very interesting for the engineers or for the drivers," he said, "but at the end of the day, in sport, you need to fight for something.
"There are already limitations on the calendar to have free practice outside of the racing weekend. So I will be very aggressive to have one free practice in the morning on Friday and then every time we go on the track, something to be awarded. Because in that respect, there is some action going on, people are always connected to understand what is happening.
"So this will be my input for the discussion on the future. Every time we will be on the track - with the respect of the race on Sunday, that has to be always the most important part of it - there should be something to fight for in terms of points, in terms of awards. That's my opinion.
"I would like to see any single session apart from the first, maybe, on the track to award something. This is something that I'm really keen to discuss with the drivers and the teams and of course with the FIA, because I think that will add the intensity that everyone wants to see when you are on the track."
Sadly, a month later, he has doubled-down on the need for added spice and hasn't ruled out reverse grids.
"You have to try," he tells Corriere della Sera. "There are always many excuses not to do it, it is a life principle. Purists will always turn up their noses up, but over the years F1 has changed the way of qualifying dozens of times. It is something that cannot be postponed, to ensure we have even more of a show.
"I would like there to always be a fight for something that counts for the title," he adds. "We will address this issue in the next F1 Commission, the fans, the organisers, everyone wants that. The sprint was just the first example, which can be improved.
"Each session there should be points up for grabs or single qualifying laps or qualifying for a Saturday race, different and shorter, instead of the third free practice, maybe with the reversed grid mechanism.
"We are putting a lot of things on the table. Many say no, but we have seen on some occasions the beauty of having reshuffled grids in the race, there is more overtaking. We have an obligation to try."
Of course, one only has to point to the significant reshuffling of the grid at Spa and Monza to see that reversing the order doesn't necessarily mean great racing.
Furthermore, as one looks at the continuing criticism of the FIA over the decision not to red flag Sunday's Grand Prix, are we alone in thinking that Domenicali and his fellow shills at F1 Towers might see the potential for changing the actual race format moving forwards.
Sadly, that passionate man who oversaw the 2008 constructors' title at Ferrari, and almost guided Fernando Alonso to a third (and fourth) title, seems a lifetime ago.
It's like the person that falls in love, professes to relish their partner's every little quirk, all their little foibles, then suddenly sets about trying to change them.