Ex-Ferrari chief Stefano Domenicali has praised Formula 1’s youngsters declaring there have never been so many strong drivers on the grid.
Right now the sport is a tipping point with some veterans like Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica in the sunset of their careers, while the leaders of the current era are coming under threat from a wave of new blood.
That’s even before you consider those drivers who have established themselves in the midfield like Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen, who haven’t had their chance at the front.
“After many years we are now facing a new situation: there have never been so many strong drivers,” Domenicali told Italian radio station, Rai.
“It is providing added value to the championship and it means the supply chain set up by the FIA under F1 is working.”
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However, it is the impact of the youngest on the grid which has most caught the eye.
“We have young drivers like [Charles] Leclerc and [Max] Verstappen in the lead, but behind them are Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, so in terms of drivers there is no scarcity of resources.”
Though the aim of those drivers is to eventually take over and have their chance to write history, the current Lamborghini CEO admits there is still one King.
“It’s difficult. Lewis Hamilton is about to win another title and it means he is part of the Olympus of F1 drivers,” he claimed.
“Leclerc is, without doubt, strong, and appears to be twice his age from a mental point of view, while Verstappen, at first hot-tempered, now seems to have found a different approach.”
To have a chance of dethroning Hamilton though, teams must match the might of Mercedes, and Domenicali does think, after a disappointing 2019, Ferrari is on the right track.
“They have all the cards in their hands for a winning return,” he said.
“This year they’ve collected less than they should have, for many reasons that ultimately make a difference.
“Without the problem in Bahrain and other issues that have characterised the season, the end of 2019 would be different because the car has improved so much in recent months.
“I think they will have a fantastic chance in 2020. [Mattia] Binotto is extraordinary and will handle what really matters: the management of two strong drivers.
“To transform that into a strength and not a weakness, the team must think clearly and without any discussion.”