Official: Lamborghini boss Domenicali leaves to run F1
Stefano Domenicali
Former Ferrari F1 team boss leaves Italian firm to take up role overseeing the sport
Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali will leave the firm to become the new president and CEO of Formula 1, it has been confirmed.
First reported by F1 website RaceFans, Domenicali will take over from current F1 boss Chase Carey, who has run the sport on behalf of owners Liberty Media since 2017, in January next year.
Liberty Media boss Greg Maffei said: “Stefano brings a rich history of success in F1 at Ferrari and the broader auto industry at Audi and Lamborghini.”
Domenicali, 55, was previously the head of the Ferrari F1 team, a role he held from 2002 until he quit in 2014. He then joined Audi in October 2014, before switching over to take over fellow Volkswagen Group-owned Lamborghini in 2016. He has also served as president of the FIA's Single Seater Commission.
Domenicali said that F1 "has always been part of my life", noting that he was born close to Imola and continues to live near Monza. He added: “The past six years at Audi and then leading Lamborghini have given me broader perspective and experience that I will bring to Formula 1.”
In a statement confirming his departure, Lamborghini said that Domenicali "has guided the company through a crucial period of exceptional transformation." During his time at the firm, Lamborghini underwent a major expansion to double its sales with the launch of the Urus SUV, which involved hiring more than 700 new staff for a new production line at its Sant Agata factory.
Lamborghini has yet to name a replacement for Domenicali.
At F1 Domenicali will join former Ferrari technical chief Ross Brawn, who is now the sport's managing director. He will also likely work closely with Jean Todt, another former Ferrari team boss who is now president of the FIA, motorsport's governing body.
Carey will continue to serve as a non-executive chairman of F1. Maffei said: "Chase has done a phenomenal job leading F1. He assembled a first-class commercial and sporting organization that has a long list of achievements, including broadening the appeal of the sport, growing its digital presence, establishing new technical regulations, securing a cost cap for the first time and reaching a new more equitable Concorde agreement with the teams."
Carey said: "I’m proud of the team that’s not only navigated through an immensely challenging 2020 but returned with added purpose and determination in the areas of sustainability, diversity and inclusion. I’m confident that we’ve built the strong foundation for the business to grow over the long term."
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