Domenicali better listen to Ecclestone for the future of F1
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The arrival of Stefano Domenicali as the new F1 CEO for Liberty Media has been widely welcomed. The teams are happy that someone who has grown in the sport itself is now at the helm of the ship called Formula 1. He also seems to be hitting the right tone with the fans.
Of course, it is a wise decision by Liberty Media to appoint someone who knows the world well and who also has a particularly sympathetic and honest image. Domenicali's past also shows that his actions also fit that image.
Nothing wrong with that so far. Still, you could question the choice of Domenicali. With Ross Brawn as sporting director, there are now two technicians who map out the policy for Formula 1. And while they undoubtedly want the best for the sport, they risk losing sight of the fact that Formula 1 is entertainment first and foremost.
Attracting new teams and other investors stands or falls with the interest and enthusiasm of the general public. Those people slowly drop out if there is no exciting battle between different teams and drivers, or if the cars are not spectacular.
Formula 1 should not focus solely on relevance
In order to keep those two elements attractive to the average fan, Formula 1 must abandon the will to be technologically relevant to the car industry. Engineers like Domenicali and Brawn may find that interesting and they hope to attract the car manufacturers to the sport, but the sport will not benefit in the long term.
After all, car manufacturers do not want the best for the sport. They want to show their technological supremacy through Formula 1 and leave as soon as they no longer think they need Formula 1 anymore. Moreover, with their electric streetcars, they are now heading in a direction that few racing fans are enthusiastic about.
One has to learn from mistakes made earlier
Wanting to push through technologically relevant engines, for example, has had a dramatic effect before. Nobody can deny that it is an unhealthy situation that Mercedes has been unbeaten since the introduction of hybrid engines. And has also been dominant all these years.
It is therefore somewhat alarming to hear Domenicali talk about the technological relevance of Formula 1 in recent interviews. Hopefully, it will be kept in mind that Formula 1 should put on a spectacular show in the first place. With Jean Todt as president of the FIA, who presents himself primarily as a politician and do-gooder, you, unfortunately, have no ally in that regard.
They would have done well to listen more to Bernie Ecclestone, the man who made Formula 1 great. In the interview below from 2016, he explains in great detail why it is unwise to give 'engineers' too much power. The despondency of the then relatively new construction whereby the FIA, the teams and the commercial owners of Formula 1 all have to agree on decision-making, radiates from him.
This article was written and originally published by Pelle on the Dutch edition of GPblog.com.