Domenicali Reflects on Schumacher's Legacy at Ferrari

Domenicali praises Ferrari’s future with Hamilton, highlighting Schumacher’s historic strength, while discussing the team’s new “extraordinary opportunity” with the British driver.

Stefano Domenicali has worked with many drivers and several world champions at Ferrari. The current CEO of F1 outlined why Michael Schumacher was the best defender of the Scuderia and its greatest ambassador, before Ferrari soon welcomes another great world champion, Lewis Hamilton, “an extraordinary opportunity” according to him.

“There was never a moment when he blamed the team,” Domenicali said.

“He had an extraordinary sense of strength. I’ve met many drivers, but Michael, in this regard, was exceptional.”

The Italian praised Ferrari’s ability to attract the best drivers, with Lewis Hamilton being the latest example: “Ferrari will soon have Hamilton, and I was fortunate to work with Fernando Alonso, who proves that age is not a limit. And Kimi Räikkönen, even though he seemed very cold, had an extraordinary sensitivity.”

According to Domenicali, the challenge for the Scuderia will be setting boundaries in the rivalry between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc: “As a Ferrari fan, it’s an extraordinary opportunity because Lewis wants to centralize things.”

“He wants to bring home his eighth title and become the greatest of all time. With Charles, respect will be necessary, but it’s clear that when the visor is down… In any case, the team and leadership rules must be clear.”

“I want to see different faces” in F1

Asked about the influx of rookies in Formula 1 next year, the head of the sport welcomed it: “The young drivers? There are many, and what I like is that each one has their own personality.”

“We are in a happy phase; the drivers are not a problem. The contribution of young talent is crucial for us. What F1 needs to do is break free from its self-referentiality. I want to see different faces and professionalism.”

Domenicali was then asked what makes a driver the strongest on the grid. His answer began with self-confidence as the key quality: “A driver must first believe he is the strongest of them all.”

“Then, he must have the ability to pause every moment of his performance and maximize it, as well as integrate with the mechanics and the team. After that, the visor must come down, and he must be ruthless. Because if you think about two-tenths of a gap, you’re talking about nothing. Attention to detail is crucial.”

The Two People Who “Added Value” to Ferrari

Reflecting on his personal journey at Ferrari, Domenicali praised what he learned from former director Jean Todt and former president Luca di Montezemolo: “Two people who added value to me, but especially to Ferrari. Montezemolo revived a company that was somewhat lost.”

“He brought coherence to the values, and the numbers speak for themselves. As for Todt, I spent more time with him than with my wife. I learned a very meticulous and precise way of working, and he made trust in those around him a mantra.”

He then recalled why the decision to leave Ferrari was difficult yet obvious: “It was hard because after 23 years, the danger of thinking there are no other options exists. But I had peace of mind, things hadn’t gone well, and it was simply about taking responsibility and stepping aside.”

“It was like a funnel, then came the drop that made me take the right direction and face the choices with serenity. I remember the affection from the entire company the day I announced my departure. I left with the knowledge of having completed an important journey, even though I didn’t know what would happen the next day.”