Giancarlo Minardi, Imola, 2021

Gian Carlo Minardi takes FIA single-seater commission presidency

2022 F1 season

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Minardi Formula 1 team founder Gian Carlo Minardi has been elected FIA single seater commission president by the World Motor Sport Council.

Minardi steps into the vacant role of president of the single-seater commission, previously held by Bob Fernley, former deputy team principal of Force India prior to its sale to Lawrence Stroll and rebranding as Aston Martin.

After founding the eponymous Minardi F1 team that entered the world championship in 1985, Minardi competed as team owner and team principal until 2001, where he sold the outfit to Australian businessman Paul Stoddart. Stoddart kept the Minardi name in the sport until he sold the team to Red Bull in 2005. The soft drink manufacturer rebranded it as Toro Rosso and the team currently competes in Formula 1 as AlphaTauri, still using its original base in the Italian city of Faenza.

Since 2020, Minardi has also served as president of the Imola circuit, which Formula 1 returned to in 2020 and where next weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix will take place.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said he “warmly welcomed” the election of Minardi as the organisation’s new president of the single-seater commission.

“He is a major figure in motorsport,” Ben Sulayem said. “I look forward to working with him to further develop the single-seater pyramid around the world.”

As single-seater commission president, Minardi will oversee all single-seater motorsport series sanctioned by the FIA – including Formula 1, Formula 2, the FIA Formula 3 championship and regional F3 series, all Formula 4 championships and more.

Rob Fernley had held the role for one year after being appointed in December 2020. Fernley helped to establish the Racing Star esports programme, offering UK residents aged 14 and 15 an opportunity to win one of two fully financed seats in the 2023 British F4 championship by racing on the Race Room simracing platform.

This article has been updated to clarify Minardi has succeeded Robert Fernley in the role, not Michael Masi as previously stated.

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Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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12 comments on “Gian Carlo Minardi takes FIA single-seater commission presidency”

  1. This pleases me.

    1. someone or something
      15th April 2022, 19:32

      Everybody liked that.

    2. This is so cool.

  2. So Masi was holding 2 positions from 2019 to 2021? Race Director as well as Single Seater Commission president?

    This should have been rectified long ago.

    1. 3 actually.
      Also Safety Delegate.

      1. RocketTankski
        15th April 2022, 23:05

        He’ll eventually be sold to Red Bull and renamed Alpha Gianni.

  3. It further confirmed how FIA view Masi AD 2021 decision. There is a reason when Toto says Masi is a liability to F1.

    1. There is a reason when Toto says Masi is a liability to F1.

      Toto meant: “Liability to my investment.”

    2. Sour grapes. He didn’t think so when Masi was delegated. Everybody was quite fine, even happy with that decision. But yes, he did mess it up too many times. Toto talks out self-interest though and nothing else, that’s the only reason. After all, was one of those guys pushing for racing in Saudi Arabia even during the attack. I don’t think his own credibility is that great.

      1. How well do you know him?

  4. A bit random. I didn’t realise he was still active in motorsport, I assumed he’d put his feet up somewhere and was relaxing. Best of luck to him, and it’s always nice to see that name.

  5. playstation361
    15th April 2022, 14:39

    Nice to hear the development.

Comments are closed.