FORMULA 1 CEO AND PRESIDENT Stefano Domenicali has described India as a market with significant potential for the sport’s future growth, reflecting on the country’s growing passion for motorsport and the possibility of a future Grand Prix.
Domenicali said in an exclusive interaction with FanCode, “It is a country of magic, a country of passion, a country of color, a country of smiles. India is an incredible market. First of all, because it’s huge, but it’s young – our fans are getting younger, more diverse, and there is an incredible enthusiasm. India for us will represent even more in the future an important market where we have to go.”
On the potential return of the Indian Grand Prix, Domenicali stressed the need for a sustainable, long-term approach rather than a short-term solution.
Further, he stated, “There is a big interest from us to return to your country. There are the right things that we need to do – to find back again the right promoters, the right collaboration, and the right timing, which will not be in the very short term. But when we talk about five years in Formula 1, it seems to be very far away, but it’s not. There is not yet a fixed date on which we can really say something, but we see the interest that is growing at all levels.”
He added, “It is very important to say that we need to feel the interest from all the stakeholders of India because this is a project that, when we reach back to your country, has to be big. It has to be the right one, with the right level of investment and the right level of people, because your market is just phenomenal. I just want to guarantee that we’re going to be there for sure one day and in the right condition.”
Domenicali highlighted Formula 1’s focus on growing its Indian fanbase through its partnership with FanCode, targeting younger and more diverse audiences, and noted potential collaborations, including a Bollywood project.
He asserted, “We are a platform that has moved from only sport to entertainment, to integration, to discussion, and is getting younger and younger. In India, for us, it is about pushing content with our social media and trying to find new projects—like potential Bollywood projects—that can be very attractive for our fans in India. India is on our priority list to develop our attention for the future.”
FanCode has also introduced regional commentary in Hindi and Tamil alongside screenings across India. Domenicali said Formula 1 will work with FanCode on more personalised, localised content to reach Indian audiences.
Domenicali concluded, “We know that every single market has a different way to get into the fans’ attention. We believe that our relationship with FanCode is the right step in starting to grow the awareness of the sport. Being able to do this kind of personalization, talking about India’s many languages, dialects, and interpretations, is just the right way to be in the market.”
