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The sport has never been in better shape, according to F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, who, somewhat chillingly, warns of unconventional ideas to attract new fans.
Unless you are from the Gerald Ratner, Allen Roses or Matt Barrett school of management, it is unlikely that you are going to talk your product down, consequently, talking to the official F1 website, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali insists that the sport has never been in better shape.
“It’s been a phenomenal year,” he claims. “For me, what is particularly incredible is that we have had three different moments where everyone thought the championship was decided.
“First there was before the summer break where it looked like Oscar Piastri would be world champion, then in October, it looked like Lando Norris would get it, then in the middle of November, Max Verstappen was on a mission and looked like he would win.
“There’s been some excitement at every race,” he continues, “and we’ve had a lot to share with our fans from around the world. It’s been a year of new fans who have joined the club, existing fans staying connected and new projects that were incredible, like F1 The Movie.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the stakeholders and everyone who is following the sport and has a role in what we are doing. Everyone is crucial to the growth we are achieving,” he adds.
“Congratulations to Lando, Oscar and Max,” he says. “In my eyes, they are all winners, and they’ve made for an incredible season. I’m sure they will continue to entertain us in the years to come, including doing battle with the next generation.”
Speaking of which…
“We had an incredible year for the youngsters. They have shown the grit and determination required to succeed in Formula 1.
“One of the many examples of that came in Australia,” explains the Italian. “Hadjar crashed on the formation lap and there were a lot of people saying he’s not ready. Fast forward to today and he’s stepping up to the Red Bull team alongside four-time champion Verstappen next season.”
However…
“Formula 1 needs people to be resilient,” he warns. “There is no other sport that commands the same kind of pressure. If you deliver, you will become one of the main protagonists in our sport.
“It’s an exciting time right now. The growth is strong and everyone is asking ‘What’s next?’ We will continue to propose ideas that are not conventional, and try to reach a dimension that was not traditionally born for F1.
“Of course, we want to keep the focus on racing,” he insists, for those already shuddering at the next surprise the sport’s powers that be have in store for us. “The sport is our beating heart and that is why there are new regulations coming next year. We will see brand-new cars with revised power units, which run advanced sustainable fuels.
“The form book will be ripped up,” he insists. “The pecking order will be up in the air. And at the end of the day, the track will show where all the teams stack up. I’m pretty sure where you will rank in the first race, won’t be where you rank at the end of the year, so fast and intense will be the development race.
“This is my fifth year in my position and if I look back at the evolution we have had, it is incredible,” he gushes. “I’m excited for the future. Thanks for all your commitment and all the warmth and love we feel from the fans. Stay tuned!”
For those not aware, in 1991 Gerald Ratner famously described the products sold in his company’s chain of jewellery shops as “total crap”, a comment that led to the company’s near collapse and his departure just two years later. Allen Roses, Vice president of GlaxoSmithKline, claimed in 2003 that the majority of prescription drugs made by companies like Glaxo did not work on most of the people who took them. Finally, again in 2003, Matt Barret, Barclays chief executive, admitted to not using his own bank’s credit cards. “I do not borrow on credit cards,” he told a Treasury Select Committee. “I have four young children. I give them advice not to pile up debts on their credit cards.”
If any of these three, and there are many others, were running the sport, they would no doubt claim that in the pursuit of ever-bigger profits the sport has lost its way and sold its soul, and that those participating, including teams and drivers, are complicit, as a sport synonymous with pressure, power and passion gleefully follows the WWE route of fakery, over-commercialisation, theatrics and show business.
