“A Man With a Frightening Determination” – Former Ferrari Team Boss on Michael Schumacher
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“A Man With a Frightening Determination” – Former Ferrari Team Boss on Michael Schumacher
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Recently, former Scuderia Ferrari team principal, Stefano Domenicali spoke to Corrierre della Sera. The publication asked the Lamborghini CEO if he would consider returning to Ferrari, but he refused. He also opened up on his time as a Scuderia Ferrari employee.
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After graduating from Bologna University, Ferrari recruited Domenicali straight off the bat, albeit in a different capacity. Domenicali dabbled in between different racing series before taking the Ferrari role. Soon, he earned a promotion to Team Manager in December 1996.
He remained there until January 2001 and took on a brief stint as Logistics Manager. It wasn’t long before he earned yet another promotion, this time to Ferrari F1 team director. In other words, he became the Ferrari F1 team principal, succeeding Jean Todt. He also worked with Michael Schumacher for a while, and the German legend left quite an impression on him.
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Stefano Domenicali
How did Domenicali perform at Scuderia Ferrari?
Under his leadership, Ferrari seized the 2008 Constructors’ Championship, although they benefitted from McLaren’s drama. Unfortunately, the rest of his tenure at the head of the Prancing Horse, was a rollercoaster. 2009 was a nightmare, while they finished 3rd in 2010, behind Red Bull Racing and McLaren. 2011 was also a fairly forgettable, with Fernando Alonso finishing in a lowly 4th
Then came the 2012 season, where Fernando Alonso barely missed out on the title, in spite of a largely uncompetitive car. He and Ferrari claimed three Grand Prix victories and placed second in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Owing to his leadership, Top Gear Magazine named Domenicali as one of “The Men of the Year 2012”.
The Italian managed to keep the Maranello outfit at sharp end of F1, against the odds. Sadly, he resigned as team principal in April 2014 and walked away from F1.
In October 2014, Audi roped in Domenicali and appointed him as head of the FIA’s Single-Seater Commission. On 15 March 2016 he was appointed CEO at Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., succeeding Stephan Winkelmann.
Speaking about Michael Schumacher to Corrierre della Sera, he said, “Never seen such an avid attention to detail. A man with a frightening determination. For me, for each of us it was a very instructive, unforgettable adventure.”
