DECEMBER 1, 2023

Domenicali hopeful despite TV ratings slump

F1 CEO Stefano says he is confident Formula 1 will stage a more competitive battle for the world championship in 2024.

This season was one of the most dominant in the entire history of the sport.

Red Bull only failed to win one of the 22 grands prix and Max Verstappen more than doubled the points tally of the second placed driver - his own teammate Sergio Perez.

According to DPA news agency, it has coincided with an alarming 20 percent drop in television viewership in the traditional but struggling German market.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull made 2023 a year for finding superlatives, admitted Sky Deutschland's sports director Charly Classen.

The great performance from the old and new world champion meant that there was no tension in the title fight, he added.

And with the regulations staying the same for 2024, and teams now limited in what they can spend to catch up amid the budget cap, many are predicting another easy year of Red Bull dominance next year as well.

Domenicali, however, is more hopeful.

McLaren has shown that you can develop a more competitive car even with the budget cap, the Italian insisted.

I believe that next season there will be more of a fight. We saw it in Abu Dhabi, where the 20 cars were within a second (in qualifying), he added.

The big news next year will be the pace in the race as well. Our goal is to expand the culture and passion for this sport as much as possible, Domenicali concluded.
(GMM)