Mid season Reports.

[Siao]

Eau301 said:

Josemartinez said:

Eau301 said:

a D for Domenicali



Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali says the 2026 championship will end in Europe if the conflict in the Middle East makes it impossible to hold the season-closing races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Domenicali said on a call with F1 media that a final decision would be made by the "middle of September".

"For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed," Domenicali said. "By the way, they are already sold out. That is an incredible sign of how much the sport is bigger than the problem that our world is living.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/cx2r...


What a silly thing to say

I think the rest of his quote regarding the PU were even worse, saying fans who don't like the PU's don't understand the PU's and asking drivers to stop saying bad things about the PU's.

Below is taken from the article

But Domenicali said: "There is a lot of action on the track. People are loving it. They are focused on what is happening on the track.

"They don't understand our technology, division of 'clipping', or whatever it is, because it's too technical for the wider base that we have. Therefore, the effect on the track has been widely super positive about the fans."

He acknowledged steps taken to reduce the effect of energy recovery on driving over the next two seasons as "the right thing for the sport".

And he admitted he had asked drivers to be "constructive" in their comments after outspoken remarks from Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and others.

"We are not here to put tape on the mouth of anyone," Domenicali said. "The beauty of motorsport is that everyone can have an opinion, but the opinion is an opinion. I prefer to discuss things in that respect in four walls to find solutions."

I'm beginning to realise that Domenicali is a corporate Yes man.
Might be a nice guy socially, but he's pandering to a media company theme park rather than trying to preserve an authentic sport. It's as if Domenicali would be happy with AI driven cars.

If MBS can pushback for greater driver input then I'm all for it.

Never liked him, even from his Ferrari years. He lucked into the last WCC in his first year, then nothing. He came across as a bit sleazy and just a corporate mouthpiece. His recent interviews with the gaslighting and calling the fans - pretty much - idiots, has reached a new level of low for me. And we are stuck with him until 2029... sigh