ANALYSIS: How Stefano Domenicali guided F1 into a stronger position than ever as he continues to lead the sport through 2029

Stefano Domenicali will continue to run Formula 1, the sport that has coursed through his veins since he was a child, for the next five years through 2029 after being handed a five-year extension to a deal that began back in 2021.

Back then, Formula 1 was in the midst of the Covid pandemic but building on the different direction new owner Liberty wanted to take the sport under the stewardship of Chase Carey and Greg Maffei.

Domenicali, charged with the day-to-day running of the business, deftly guided the championship through that rocky period before blasting out the other side to emerge stronger than ever in its 75th season.

His energy is infectious – he’ll be up at the crack of dawn each day for a morning run – and works tirelessly behind the scenes to get things done.

LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - NOVEMBER 29: Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group, walks in the — Domenicali will extend his stint as Formula 1 CEO and President through 2029

It is that passion and ruthlessly efficient work ethic that has helped guide the business to increased commercial success, a growing fanbase, a sharper focus on sustainability and the evolution of a racing product – both on and off track – to strengthen the quality of the show.

Since Domenicali took over, F1’s calendar has grown to a record-breaking 24 races, with the addition of Middle Eastern races in Saudi Arabia and Qatar and new events in Miami and Las Vegas, the latter featuring F1 as a first-time promoter of the event to make it three Grands Prix in the United States.

Sustainability has been a focal point, with a series of projects put in place to reduce the sport’s carbon footprint – and that includes the tackling of revising the calendar to reduce zig-zagging across the world.

Demand to host a race remains high, with Madrid joining the calendar next year. Domenicali and his team have worked to balance protecting the heritage of the sport through backing European heartland races, with exploring new territories including a first race in Africa and a potentially bigger footprint in Asia and consolidating the growth in the United States.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali is seen in his team garage — Domenicali has long been involved within F1, including as Ferrari Team Principal from 2008-2014

The 59-year-old has presided over a boom in F1’s American audience, with circuit attendances, TV audiences and general interest in the sport growth during his tenure. Meanwhile, his race promotions team have delivered a plethora of sizeable contract extensions with existing and new races to ensure stability for the sport into the next decade.

Media rights, across broadcast and digital media, remains strong while F1’s commercial department signed a massive 10-year deal with LVMH, starting this year, that will see a variety of the firm's luxury brands – including Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer – becoming very prominent across the sport’s branding.

Education and a laser-focus on diversity and inclusion have been core, too, with Domenicali leading on increasing support for university scholarships and grassroots programmes to help shape the future of the F1 paddock.

F1’s teams have never been in better shape either. While some were forced towards the brink of survival during Covid, now all 10 teams are in tremendous shape with most even profitable, something that was unheard of a decade ago.

F1’s commercial department signed a massive 10-year deal with LVMH, starting this year

There’s been huge interest from big brands to be part of the show, with Ford joining forces with Red Bull to create a power unit from next season and Audi joining the fray for the first time as a works team in 2026. Honda also decided to throw their hat back in the ring by partnering with Aston Martin from next year, while the sport will swell to 11 teams in a year’s time, too, with General Motors bringing their Cadillac brand to the party.

While the Grand Prix format remains the main event of a race weekend, the sport has tinkered with the schedule by scattering Sprint events across a campaign every season since 2021. It’s part of a play to protect F1’s roots while evolving the overall offering to appeal to an ever-growing and diverse fanbase.

Domenicali has backed the growth of the commercial rights holder's content streams, with evolution and innovation across its editorial, social and digital platforms – which include its OTT streaming service F1 TV – in a bid to keep F1 relevant in the battle for the audience’s attention in an ultra-competitive world.

F1, in many ways, has never been stronger. Now, with the backing of Liberty and new CEO Derek Chang through a five-year deal, Domenicali has the stability and mandate to keep his foot on the gas in trying to sustain the sport’s remarkable growth.