Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has admitted to missing some of the old technical controversies that encompassed it, claiming it brought “spice” to the sport.
Domenicali, prior to his tenure as F1’s chief, was a longstanding figurehead in Ferrari, joining in 1991, rising to become its Sporting Director and later team principal, a role he held for five years.
In that time, Domenicali saw a number of controversial incidents involving the intricacies of the sporting regulations, many of which involved Ferrari.
Notably, at the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix, Ferrari took a 1-2 led by Eddie Irvine, but both he and Michael Schumacher were disqualified for illegal bargeboards.
This handed Mika Hakkinen the Drivers’ title, but Ferrari appealed, and won, due to an unclear rule on a discrepancy on the bargeboards, and despite Hakkinen winning the title eventually, Ferrari did win the Constructors’ title as a result.
In an interview with Autosport, Domenicali confessed that he holds a great deal of fondness for that particular period of time, citing this incident as an example.
“I’ve lived through many of those: Malaysia ’99, the double diffuser, FRIC [Front to Rear Inter-Connected suspension], mass dampers, F-ducts… all part of F1’s story,” he said.
“I used to be hands-on with technical and sporting regulation debates almost every Sunday.
“Years ago, there were far broader grey areas than today – but F1 people still know how to push everything to the limit.
“Personally, I feel today’s controversies are relatively minor. In fact, it’d be nice to have a bit more of that again – they’re the spice of the sport.”
How the F1 ‘landscape has changed’
Domenicali also spoke of the difference in F1’s current identity and alignment with the times.
Citing gearboxes as an example, Domenicali said he believed that some technical areas within F1 aren’t defining any interest within the fanbase, suggesting that single-spec parts may be something to be explored.
“Fans of my generation need to rethink what creates performance and technological interest,” he added.
“Focusing on sustainable fuels is absolutely the right path.
“But – and this may sound provocative – having teams invest huge amounts in designing their own gearboxes no longer makes sense.
“The performance gains are minimal. Fans no longer see it as an exciting area of development. We need to identify areas where technology and entertainment overlap.
“Many things that once seemed cutting-edge no longer justify major investment. We must have the courage to accept that the landscape has evolved.”
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