Why F1's new leader marks a break from the past

Just four years after Liberty Media Corporation announced its deal to acquire Formula 1 from CVC Capital Partners, fears that the championship's new owners would seek to Americanise Grand Prix motor racing have been quashed by a series of astute deals and the news of Stefano Domenicali's appointment as chief executive.

With the budget cap and Concorde Agreement in place, Chase Carey returns to the USA, mission accomplished for the initial phase of Liberty's ownership of F1.

His replacement faces the task of helping F1 recover from the ravages of COVID-19, putting the company's plans for growth back on track, tackling challenges such as F1's response to a fast-changing media landscape, and achieving its ambitious target of having a net zero carbon footprint by 2030.

It is hard to think of a more un-American, purist-F1 appointment than Domenicali, a man born in Imola who studied business management at the world's oldest university in Bologna and spent 23 years wedded to Ferrari. On his way to the very top of the Scuderia he experienced many different functions within the business - from finance to personnel, from being race director at Mugello to working in sponsorship, and from team manager to sporting director during the Michael Schumacher years.

Talk to anyone who has worked with Domenicali and they will tell you that he is a 'people person'. The relationships he built during those years at Maranello should help. Former boss Jean Todt, whom Domenicali succeeded as team principal in 2008, is set to remain FIA President for the next two years, a neat crossover for both men. Plus, Domenicali's leadership of the FIA's single-seater commission means he enjoys a solid understanding of how motorsport's governing body operates.

In Ross Brawn, Domenicali has another former Ferrari colleague, now a key lieutenant, who has presided over crucial moves to restructure F1's technical and sporting regulations. Brawn and his technical team will help Domenicali frame the championship's future as it moves beyond the current hybrid era and grasps the nettle of F1's road relevancy at a time of unprecedented change.

ANALYSIS: Why F1 teams shouldn't fear another ex-Ferrari boss in charge

Consider, too, that Domenicali already knows most of the team bosses, just one example being Ferrari's Mattia Binotto with whom he worked for 19 years. Whether within the corridors of F1's London offices, or the meeting rooms of the FIA in Paris, Domenicali is known and respected. One senior figure admits the 55-year-old Italian has somehow negotiated his way through the industry without leaving the trail of enemies that often marks a rise to power.

Much of that is down to a habit of making time for people. Domenicali possesses an openness that presages a very different style of leadership from the 'command and control' variety espoused by old-school Formula 1.

Running Scuderia Ferrari brings with it the pressure of leading Formula 1's most famous team, with the hopes of the Italian nation resting upon its collective shoulders, never mind the countless millions of Tifosi around the world. In the white heat of that challenge, Domenicali unquestionably learned all he needed to about politics, pressure and people

As the man who replaces the man who replaced Bernie Ecclestone, it begs the question of whether Domenicali is tough enough? It's one thing to be liked, quite another to lead a multi-billion-dollar business which will demand a firm hand with teams, race promoters, broadcasters and sponsors.

In this regard Domenicali's approach will mirror his time at Ferrari and latterly as CEO of Lamborghini - captaining the ship by setting the direction of travel but relying on an expert crew to do the sailing. This is going to be less about wielding power, more about empowerment, and in this regard his time at Ferrari should stand him in good stead.

Watch any of his interviews and you can see he firmly believes in the advantages of close teamwork and collaboration; of getting people to play to their strengths. The flip side of this approach is that he will hold individual team members accountable and he will not hesitate to make changes if required.

Although his time as Ferrari team boss failed to replicate the success of the Schumacher era, winning the 2008 constructors' championship (Ferrari's most recent success) and seeing Felipe Massa narrowly defeated by Lewis Hamilton was a fine achievement in Domenicali's first year in charge. The Fernando Alonso years were also notable for a hat-trick of second places in the drivers' championship.

When Domenicali resigned in early 2014 following a difficult start to that first hybrid season, eyebrows were raised. The press statement told little about the background politics - Ferrari president and chairman Luca di Montezemolo followed Domenicali out of Maranello's doors just a matter of months later. But the word is that Domenicali was that rare beast: a team principal with principles...

Running Scuderia Ferrari brings with it the pressure of leading Formula 1's most famous team, with the hopes of the Italian nation resting upon its collective shoulders, never mind the countless millions of Tifosi around the world. In the white heat of that challenge, Domenicali unquestionably learned all he needed to about politics, pressure and people.

When he strides into F1's headquarters in London's St James's Market, Stefano Domenicali will bring leadership, management and commercial expertise from 30 years of being immersed in this world. The view within F1 is that he is an inspired choice, a decision Liberty found easy to make.