Increasingly "green" cars, Stefano Domenicali categorical: "Formula 1 will never be electric"

06/16/2024 05:33 AM

A few days ago, a new episode of Fabio Rovazzi’s Podcast was published on YouTube featuring singer Francesca Michielin and Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali as the main guests. During the long conversation, many topics were addressed, but one very dear to the Italian manager was the progress of the automotive industry and the trend towards electric vehicles. Speaking about the future of single-seaters, the Italian was very clear. Here are his words.

Formula 1 and a Future Towards Electric Mobility
Speaking on the Podcast 2046, Stefano Domenicali said: “I believe that the future of the automobile is a great future because we must not forget that the world is big and therefore also full of different realities, which travel at different speeds, with different technological contexts. In my opinion, the only means that allows you to move freely without having to wait for anyone is precisely the automobile.”

“The automotive industry is important as it also allows the development of technologies that are then applied in the automotive industry. It is something that, especially in the past years, has also characterized our country. The automobile must remain a central factor, even though I must say that in recent years it has been seen as something producing negative effects because there is a lot of populism around this topic since when talking about sustainability, the automobile is seen as the only monster that will attack us from above. I want to debunk this myth.”

Speaking about the progression towards electric and sustainable mobility, Stefano Domenicali said bluntly: “Let’s start with this principle: Formula 1 will never become electric.” The CEO of the category then added: “It is hybrid, and this is a fact, and probably with sustainable fuels, it could return to being a thermal engine because when we talk about sport, we are talking about a context, not only technological, that must also give emotions and convey something that allows you to go to see an event that you like, but that also leaves you with something.”

“Certainly, one of the things that have characterized the history of Formula 1 is the sound. Electric mobility will be there, but it will not be the only way to move with the automobile. I remember twelve cylinders at the start, with the acoustic effect of the grandstand, it had an effect… Do you know when you are happy to suffer? Those were emotions that now you can’t even think of experiencing. They were different times.”

Responding to Fabio Rovazzi about the new regulation that will come into force in two seasons, Stefano Domenicali added: “In 2026, the engine will be hybrid. We will have a thermal component and an electric component.”

The last topic addressed was the sustainability of the sport: “If we talk about sustainability, talk is cheap. The overall footprint of what one produces for the fuels we use does not even represent 2% at the total level. What we produce in terms of emissions is because we travel the world with many people and a lot of material. Therefore, the real impact is caused by travel, airplanes, trucks, and ships. The ecosystem of Formula 1 is about 3000 people, plus all the other services managed by local promoters, so when we are at important Grands Prix, we are talking about over 8000 people working physically at a Grand Prix.”- the former Ferrari team principal concluded.

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