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To replace Ferrari's F1 team principal, Jean Todt, can be a tough job for even the best administrators in the business as he has been a father figure for the team in his 15 years of association with this outfit. However, on November 12, 2007, the Italian manager Stefano Domenicali, took over the reigns of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team when Todt became a contender for the FIA president’s role. Domenicali, born on May 11, 1965, was 43 years old at the time, when he took control of Ferrari F1 as the team principal. A humble Italian from Imola, Domenicali has seen a radical change in his career path from working in Italian business and commerce industry to moving into Ferrari in 1991.

Domenicali’s bespectacled, soft appearance, subtly hides his ‘no nonsense’ approach that he has to his work. He has steadily grown within Ferrari from being an administrator to working as head of personnel in the sporting department, from Team Manager to Logistics Manager and finally becoming the face of Ferrari as its team principal. In just two seasons of F1 as the principal, Domenicali seemed to have fit into his role of filling in the oversized shoes of Todt quite comfortably. Under the guidance of this experienced gentleman, the team won its seventh and the eight Constructors’ titles in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

Someone who understands the plight of his drivers, Domenicali takes immense pride in Ferrari and its legacy of having raced in all the sixty F1 championships that have taken place and he plans to maintain the record. After the launch of the 2009 Ferrari F60, Domenicali discussed various problems that the sport is facing and sent out a message to the tifosi that he is concerned and would help resolve them soon. Despite his position, Domenicali remains a composed person with a polite word for everyone and his philosophical side just reveals itself in every tete-a-tete with the media. Ferrari have signed double world champion, Fernando Alonso to take Kimi Raikkonen's seat and accompany Felipe Massa in their conquest to add more championships to their ever growing collection.