F1’s new president and CEO plans to speak to the sport’s drivers ahead of the season on how they can work together to help highlight important issues in society; Domenicali has described the grid’s stars to Sky F1 as the “soul of the sport”
New F1 boss Stefano Domenicali has further explained how the sport’s drivers can act as role models and use their platform to help shed light on important issues in society.
Reiterating comments he first made to Sky Sports F1 last month, when he described the 20 drivers as “ambassadors” and the “soul of the sport”, the Italian said he would be talking to them ahead of the season to empathise the powerful role they can play.
“We cannot lose the opportunity in making sure they understand they are more than drivers, they have a big responsibility because they are the face of our sport,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters in a discussion with media this week.
“They have to understand that their behaviour and their words and a lead-by-example approach is what I am expecting to share with them.
“I want to share how I believe we should work together also in using our platform and their role model to push for issues that are important for our society.”
Domenicali also stressed the importance of Lewis Hamilton to the sport and the seven-time world champion’s drive to highlight issues of social and racial injustice.
He said: “Lewis is really very important to F1 because he is embracing other values and bringing them into the discussion and putting his face to points out of the normal sport.”
The Italian also addressed the controversy surrounding new Haas driver Nikita Mazepin. The 21-year-old Russian was condemned by the team and the sport itself after a video posted on his Instagram Stories in December appeared to show him inappropriately touching a woman’s chest during a car journey. The video was swiftly deleted and Mazepin issued an apology.
“I would say that it was pretty clear what he did was not acceptable,” said Domenicali. “But I think that he was apologetic as a reaction to what he did and we need to make sure that in the discussions that we will have…that they understand we cannot joke about certain things. It’s not possible.”
‘Formula 1 is not living out of this world’
Succeeding Chase Carey at the top of Formula 1, former Ferrari F1 and Lamborghini boss Domenicali gave his first interview since taking up his new role to Sky F1’s Martin Brundle in January.
The 55-year-old Italian said that the sport’s push for diversity and the We Race As One campaign will continue to be a ‘high priority’ for the sport in 2021.
“What is good is that drivers more and more realise that they are the ambassadors of Formula 1, in a different dimension,” he said. “Not only in terms of technical skills but also in terms of the way that they can put out the right message of Formula 1. I think they will appreciate that.
“Of course, we don’t want to be political because that’s not our business, but we want to highlight the values of society.”
F1 launched its We Race As One initiative last year and Domenicali said that promoting diversity would remain a ‘high priority’ into 2021, with time to again be set aside before races to highlight important messages.
“Diversity and We Race As One will give us the opportunity to highlight the time before the starting of the race to use these minutes to highlight values related to this programme and to this specific subject,” said Domenicali.
“What we have in mind is to use this time to share with the drivers and the teams how we can implement the attention that the F1 world will have to have not only to the end of racism, but to the diversity and We Race As One programme.
“We will use this moment to make sure that everyone will understand that Formula 1 is not living out of this world. Formula 1 wants to have an active role on enhancing these values.”
