Stefano Domenicali on the present and future of Formula 1...

      In the Monza paddock, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali spoke about the calendar, sprint events, and future plans…

      Stefano Domenicali: “I want to confirm that as of today, the calendar remains in effect. We have confirmation from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but I will not discuss what I cannot openly talk about. We are monitoring the situation and are in constant communication. If circumstances do not allow us to fully guarantee safety and the holding of the event, we will have to make other decisions. But for now, I confirm: the calendar is as you know it.

      Next Sunday, we have a race in Madrid, on a new track where everything is almost ready or will be ready at the last moment. It’s not ideal, but there’s always room for improvement. Next year we will have Portugal, we will have Turkey. Considering everything we have achieved in recent months, it is clear that we cannot remain stagnant for long.

      We should not be satisfied with today’s successes; we need to remain realistic in assessing new growth opportunities. Everything is changing so quickly that if you are not ready to react, you will immediately fall behind.

      There will be more sprint events in 2027 than this year. One of them will take place in Monza. For now, I cannot name the exact number, but it will be less than half of the events.

      Modern young people prefer the weekend concept where qualifying takes place on Friday instead of practice sessions, which do not interest them. I was the first, as a guardian of tradition, to have doubts about sprint weekends, but the results speak for themselves. Organizers, media, fans — the overwhelming majority have embraced these changes as a dynamic form of sport that brings — I also speak from a commercial perspective — interesting results.

      Reducing the race distance in 2027? I see no problem. We are talking about two or three laps. If it were more, that would be worth discussing, but right now it doesn’t concern me.

      The discussion on the regulations that will replace the current ones is ongoing. We are communicating about this with the FIA and all stakeholders. When discussing the current rules, everyone was confident that the automotive industry would transition to electric vehicles. It is clear that this is not the case.

      We need to understand how to ensure the presence of manufacturers on one hand, while maintaining independence on the other. Obviously, the less complex the technological project in conjunction with the targeted cost and efficiency metrics, the more it contributes to our independence.

      There are several key issues. One of them is the use of environmentally friendly fuels. The second is reducing the weight of the cars. We want to see drivers pushing the limits of cars that are obedient to them. The driver must remain the main character.”