Domenicali calls F1 drivers to order: “You must not be selfish”

Stefano Domenicali and the “Bad Cop” hat. The president of the Formula 1 reframed some of the F1 drivers, in an interview with the British media Daily Mail. The latter were very critical of the direction taken by the discipline in terms of spectacle. First in Baku, where Max Verstappen said he would consider leaving Formula 1 if the Sprint racing format were to become popular, then in Miami, where most pilots were not convinced by the presentation ceremony a few minutes before departure.

In order to restore order to this flood of criticism, the Italian director wanted to call the drivers to order. “I don't want a society in which people can't say what they want, said Stefano Domenicali. But pilots sometimes need to remind themselves that they are part of a bigger whole. You must not be selfish. »

According to the former director of the Team Ferrari, F1 drivers need to be more open to change. “They are part of this sport and this business, which is growing because we think bigger. It's not always easy to step out of your comfort zone, but we can't be lazy or complacent.", explained Stefano Domenicali, particularly targeting Max Verstappen without citing it.

“We may revisit some of the specifics of the sprint weekend format at the end of the season, once we have tested it on the six scheduled occasions. We won't have sprints every weekend either. But we have a new audience and we must offer good value for money in each session, and not let everyone go around in circles for the sole benefit of the engineers and drivers. »

Domenicali convinced Verstappen will stay

Recently, a 10 Sprint Race calendar has been brought forward for 2024, but this remains to be confirmed. Max Verstappen then showed his dissatisfaction, not convinced by the new Sprint race format tested in Baku last April. “ I'm not a big fan of any of this. When you do this kind of thing, the weekend becomes very intense and we already compete in a lot of races.”

Precisely, when he is questioned about the threats of the double Dutch champion to leave Formula 1 if the discipline continues its evolution towards more spectacle, Stefano Domenicali wants to be reassuring. “I discussed these issues with Max (before the last race in Miami). He told me he loved this sport and what he did, confided the president of F1. He is world champion and fighting for a third title, he was born in a car. I'd say he's likely to stay longer than me. This is not a problem. »

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