F1 chief Domenicali misses "broader" technical controversies: "They're the spice of the sport"

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has suggested he'd like to see more contention over the technical regulations in the championship, labelling a handful of examples from his own time at Ferrari as moments of "spice".

In his previous role at the Maranello company, which encompassed roles in the commercial department before he became sporting director and, after Jean Todt's departure, team principal, Domenicali sat on both sides of the fence during multiple technical controversies across the 2000s and 2010s.

In an exclusive interview with Autosport, the Italian mentioned Ferrari's own involvement in its double disqualification at the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix, where the team's bargeboards were found to be illegal – a decision that provisionally handed Mika Hakkinen the drivers' title.

At the time, technical director Ross Brawn appeared to admit that the team had made an error but changed his tune on appeal, when Ferrari successfully argued its case – hinging on inconsistencies on a ruling that defined a 5mm tolerance for certain bargeboard surfaces. The disqualification was later revoked by the FIA, reinstating Eddie Irvine's win to keep the title race going until the final round at Suzuka, where Hakkinen got the job done but the Scuderia eventually won the constructors' crown.

Domenicali also mentioned some of the technical developments that teams found in the following decades that offered a championship-contending team an advantage, all of which were eventually outlawed. He suggested that these innovations had been missing, due to the tighter restrictions governing car design.

Eddie Irvine scores what will prove a controversial win at Sepang in 1999

Photo by: Sutton Images

“I’ve lived through many of those: Malaysia ’99, the double diffuser, FRIC, mass dampers, F-ducts… all part of F1’s story,” Domenicali said. 

"I used to be hands-on with technical and sporting regulation debates almost every Sunday. Years ago, there were far broader grey areas than today – but F1 people still know how to push everything to the limit.

“Personally, I feel today’s controversies are relatively minor. In fact, it’d be nice to have a bit more of that again – they’re the spice of the sport.”

Speaking further on F1's current state of affairs in a technical capacity, Domenicali reckoned that there were a handful of areas where single-spec components would be justified – citing the gearboxes as an example.

He said that the current viewership would be more receptive to areas where technological developments and entertainment go hand-in-hand, and that the people in charge of F1 should consider how to implement that.

“Fans of my generation need to rethink what creates performance and technological interest," he added. 

"Focusing on sustainable fuels is absolutely the right path. But – and this may sound provocative – having teams invest huge amounts in designing their own gearboxes no longer makes sense. The performance gains are minimal. "Fans no longer see it as an exciting area of development. We need to identify areas where technology and entertainment overlap. 

“Many things that once seemed cutting-edge no longer justify major investment. We must have the courage to accept that the landscape has evolved.”