Lewis Hamilton backs key F1 management decision: “Thank God he’s staying”

Lewis Hamilton has voiced his support behind Stefano Domenicali after the Italian signed a new deal to remain F1 CEO until the end of 2029.

Ahead of this weekend’s F1 Australian Grand Prix, news emerged that Domenicali had signed a new contract to keep him as F1 boss until the end of the decade.

The former Ferrari F1 boss has held the role since 2021, taking over from Chase Carey.

In a statement, Domenicali said: “I am honoured to continue to lead this incredible sport, which I love and has been part of my life since my childhood and grateful to the Liberty Media team for their trust.

“Together, with all the relevant F1 stakeholders, we will continue to serve the best interest of our fans, as they are the heartbeat of everything we do. The passion, the energy and the adrenaline are the fuel that powers me every day to give my absolute best to Formula 1.”

Domenicali’s time in F1 stretches back to the 1990s with Ferrari.

After moving up the ranks, he was appointed Ferrari team principal in 2008.

Under his leadership, Ferrari won the 2008 constructors' championship.

However, they narrowly missed out on the drivers' title that year, with Felipe Massa finishing behind Hamilton.

After a number of near-misses with Fernando Alonso, Domenicali left Ferrari in early 2014 before taking up a role with Lamborghini.

Overwhelming support for Domenicali 

The news has been met with overwhelming support from the drivers, notably Hamilton.

In Thursday’s drivers’ press conference, Hamilton expressed his support for Domenicali, stating, “Thank God he’s staying”.

“It’s great to see [F1] grow, it’s great to see the audience grow, to see the sport moving in the right direction, having Stefano just re-sign,” Hamilton said.

“Thank God he’s staying, because it’s good to have a neutral good leader at the forefront of the helm.”

Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen added: “It’s great for Formula 1. First of all, he’s a great person. I get along very well with Stefano, so I’m very happy that he’s staying around for a longer period of time.”

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri appreciated how “easy” it is to talk to Domenicali and that he is “very receptive” to the drivers' ideas.

“I think what he’s been able to help with [in] the sport has been very appreciated,” Piastri explained. “His door is always open to us as drivers and [he’s] very easy to talk to, very receptive of our ideas and concerns if we have any, so [I’m] very happy that he’s sticking around for a long time.”