Early 2022 F1 title results are not 'any kind of risk' to business, says sport CEO

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is confident that Max Verstappen's early championship victory will not affect the viewership that the sport is getting.

During a call with Wall Street analysts, Domenicali stated that he does not see any risk to the business side of F1 due to the quick resolution of the championship battle.

He said:

"Well, actually, we don't see any kind of risk at all."

The final race of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi, where Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen faced off, became one of the most-watched events in history. The Yas Marina Circuit was teeming with fans as the two drivers went head-to-head for the championship.

However, Verstappen won the F1 World Championship quite early this season, right after the Japanese Grand Prix. As a result, there are concerns that viewership might drop towards the end of the campaign since the excitement will be much lower.

However, Domenicali has insisted that Verstappen's early victory will not adversely affect interest in the final races of the season:

“And first of all, we have the last race with sold out tickets, and the numbers are really good. The attention will be shipped, of course, to other fights for the sporting perspective. So that's part of racing."

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Stefano Domenicali believes 2023 F1 season will witness longer and more competitive battles

While Red Bull won the constructors' title way earlier than expected, Stefano Domenicali feels the battles in the upcoming season will last much longer. He said:

“But what we saw on the track is wheel-to-wheel racing. That's what we wanted. And I'm totally confident that next year the fight on the track will arrive up to end of the calendar. And as you'll see, the last races, on the sporting side there is a lot of attention."

According to Domenicali, the European races will also stay secure in F1 because of long-term agreements. He said:

“On the other hand, the fact that we have long-term agreements will reduce the exposure to this risk. And what I can say and share with you is that we already see an incredible number of pre-registrations with regards to ticketing of next year."

The 24-race calendar for the upcoming F1 season shows how popular and widespread the sport has become in the last few years. As such, it is hard to believe that fans will lose interest in the upcoming races anytime soon.