F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali reflects on a ‘phenomenal’ 2025 season and what’s to come in 2026

After one of the most dramatic ends to a Formula 1 campaign, F1’s President and CEO Stefano Domenicali reflects on the 2025 season and looks ahead to next year…

It’s been a phenomenal year. For me what is particularly incredible is that we have had three different moments where everyone thought the championship was decided.

First there was before the summer break where it looked like Oscar Piastri would be World Champion. Then in October, it looked like Lando Norris would get it. Then in the middle of November, Max Verstappen was on a mission and looked like he would win.

There’s been some excitement at every race and we’ve had a lot to share with our fans from around the world. It’s been a year of new fans who have joined the club, existing fans staying connected and new projects that were incredible, like F1 The Movie.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the stakeholders and everyone who is following the sport and has a role in what we are doing. Everyone is crucial to the growth we are achieving.

The future of Formula 1 is bright

Congratulations to Lando, Oscar and Max. In my eyes, they are all winners – and they’ve made for an incredible season. I’m sure they will continue to entertain us in the years to come, including doing battle with the next generation.

We had an incredible year for the youngsters. They have shown the grit and determination required to succeed in Formula 1.

One of the many examples of that came in Australia. Hadjar crashed on the formation lap and there were a lot of people saying he’s not ready. Fast forward to today and he’s stepping up to the Red Bull team alongside four-time champion Verstappen next season.

Formula 1 needs people to be resilient. There is no other sport that commands the same kind of pressure. If you deliver, you will become one of the main protagonists in our sport.

Formula 1 will continue to push the boundaries

It’s an exciting time for Formula 1 right now. The growth is strong and everyone is asking ‘What’s next?’ We will continue to propose ideas that are not conventional – and try to reach a dimension that was not traditionally born for F1.

Of course, we want to keep the focus on racing. The sport is our beating heart and that is why there are new regulations coming next year. We will see brand-new cars with revised power units, which run advanced sustainable fuels.

The form book will be ripped up. The pecking order will be up in the air. And at the end of the day, the track will show where all the teams stack up. I’m pretty sure where you will rank in the first race, won’t be where you rank at the end of the year, so fast and intense will be the development race.

Interest in Formula 1 remains high

This is my fifth year in my position and if I look back at the evolution we have had, it is incredible.

We are working hard to pump up the spectacle off-track through entertainment, fanzones, sporting activations and music to support the main showpiece spectacle on track.

Vegas this year has proven what is possible. The city was not used to having an event like ours, but everyone has pulled together and now everyone is embracing the opportunity. Now three years later, it feels like we’ve been in Vegas for 30 years.

Next year we will have Madrid joining the family and we are discussing with other countries about joining, too. Many want to be part of our show. We are working hard to evolve the schedule so that it is the more sustainable, too, in terms of the flow of races.

I’m excited for the future. Thanks for all your commitment and all the warmth and love we feel from the fans. Stay tuned!