Source:REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
[Saba Sports News] Two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso recently expressed that today’s F1 is vastly different from the past, with more teams choosing leaders from technical backgrounds rather than traditional business-oriented owners. This change has not only reshaped team management but has also subtly altered the situation for drivers.
Alonso noted that in earlier years, F1 teams were typically managed by strong, charismatic figures who oversaw everything, from competitive results to commercial operations, such as Eddie Jordan, Ron Dennis, and Flavio Briatore. In contrast, modern F1 emphasizes technology and efficiency, with managers from engineering backgrounds gradually stepping into the spotlight. Some teams have even adopted a dual structure with a technical director and a CEO to adapt to today’s highly specialized competitive environment.
In Alonso’s view, this transformation is not coincidental but closely tied to the current data-driven and precise development direction of F1. In such a system, having technical experts lead teams seems entirely logical. When discussing the impact of this change on drivers, Alonso half-jokingly remarked, “It’s harder to talk contracts now; everything has become numbers, models, and data.” From the editor’s perspective, the tuning and decision-making in racing today increasingly rely on simulations and data analysis, leaving drivers with significantly less room for intuition and on-the-spot judgment, as everything revolves around maximizing performance.