F1 CEO Domenicali Under Pressure Over Andretti Block

Stefano Domenicali’s leadership of F1 is under increasing scrutiny, as political investigations raise concerns over his contract renewal.

Stefano Domenicali’s position as CEO of F1, owned by Liberty Media, is facing increasing scrutiny. Last week, at the Il Festival dello Sport event in Trento, the Italian boasted about the transformation and rising popularity of F1 under his leadership as CEO.

“If F1 had remained tied to its old themes, it wouldn’t have seen this evolution,” he told Sky Italia. “We had to understand the sensibilities of our followers, with different ages, opinions, and sensitivities. It’s a platform that has shifted from sport to entertainment.”

“The drivers remain central, but we’ve expanded the product through social media, storytelling, and reflecting on the need to attract younger audiences. This gives us great credibility at a commercial level.”

“We’ve never been stronger. Everyone wants to be here because F1 is the place to be. What we’ve achieved in such a short time is incredible, and now we must think about further growth.”

However, British, Spanish, and German media outlets suggest that Domenicali’s involvement in blocking Andretti-Cadillac’s entry into the sport, which triggered political investigations in the U.S., could now pose a problem for negotiations over the renewal of his contract.

The Spanish newspaper Diario Sport reports that Christian Horner, Toto Wolff, and Zak Brown could be the main candidates to replace him.

Meanwhile, German journalist Ralf Bach claims that Domenicali’s name is prominently featured in the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation, sparked by F1’s rejection of the Andretti team’s bid, which had been approved by the FIA.

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, however, points out that the sport is undeniably riding a wave of tremendous growth, which only truly began after the departure of Domenicali’s predecessors, Bernie Ecclestone and Chase Carey.

“Even in Bernie’s time, people thought things couldn’t get any better,” he told Sky Deutschland. “Today, Formula 1 is worth over 20, nearly 30 billion euros.”

“Teams are worth nearly two billion euros each. You can see the enthusiasm worldwide. The drivers are well-known, especially thanks to Netflix. Motorsport has taken on an entirely new dimension.”

“Premium brands are returning, having shifted more towards electric for a while. But that’s over because Formula 1 has simply become more modern and sustainable. And somehow, there seems to be no upper limit at the moment.”