Monty’s life in the Formula One

Stefano Domenicali memories about Monty

Excerpt from the Interview made in London on F1 Headquarters

Audrey Tritto: How did you meet Monty?

Stefano Domenicali: Well, I was really a child…you know he was used to calling…. “Ciao Bambino!!! You could see everyone that he gave you an incredible boost….. I met him when I was in Imola, when I was growing up, since I was born there, when I was a boy who attended the scientific high school, I collaborated with the circuit when there were races and I went to help the organizers in the paddock and I remember that I met him, I was 14 years old so I was little, I was really a child, and so I met Monty when together with Bernie Ecclestone they were in the paddock.

Obviously I remember his important, imposing presence, and with this characteristic of his always ……..extraordinary and full of energy, with a positive impetus that every time he came to the paddock you could feel …..even from far away, because he was a person with this disruptive personality and so I remember him, when I was little and I asked who that person was what he does … what he doesn’t do …. and so be …. and from there I have to say that we became friends because we grew up in parallel.

I grew up in the world of Formula 1, first in Ferrari, and from there obviously the fact that Monty frequented Formula 1 in the friendship with Bernie and in the professional relationship that Monty then had with F1 and with many teams and with many commercial partners, and then after I maintained my relationship with Monty …. even when I left the world of Formula 1, when I went to Lamborghini, because when I was in Lamborghini we developed projects together and so we were close until the end.

Monty has traveled a path that has been close to mine, we have crossed paths many times and I must say he has always been, as I said before, an extraordinary person full of energy that is difficult to find in other people.

Audrey: What was the thing that struck you about him?

Stefano Domenicali: His confidence in exposing things and so this has always struck me, his ability to immortalize even with a small camera, before there were cell phones, the moments that remain in history, in our case of sports because he was always present and then the other thing that was really impressive was that he really knew everyone … everyone … from people between virgo VIPs to people they call normal so this ability of his to talk … from super characters to normal people like I was at the time when we met … … It has always been something that struck me.

Audrey: what will you miss about him?:

Stefano Domenicali: Well… it’s clear… his drive, his energy, his creativity to always find new forms of project involvement… of planning is something that has always characterized him in his different roles but… it’s clear that his creativity… is something that remains as a characteristic, that always makes you think that there is always the possibility of doing something else, something better, new, different even if you can deal with sports, clothing, fashion or luxury products.

We will certainly miss this, but I am a person who, being positive by nature, always tries to find and bring home the positive message and therefore of course… we miss him as a person, but we must not miss what he did to look forward in an always positive way.

His smile hidden by his moustache and his long hair and must remain with us, so I am convinced that this will happen.

Audrey: Monty was always with the camera

Stefano Domenicali: Yes yes I remember I remember that even in the last years I was in Lamborghini before returning to Formula 1 and we evaluated after the projects, he always had a camera, for this reason during this period I spoke of a small camera in his pocket that he always took out. Evidently for him those were moments that had to be remembered, because I am convinced that you will have found extraordinary images that characterize the history and the times in which he lived by always being present. Photography remains the memory of moments that characterized his path and the path of the people who were close to him.

Audrey: Reading the history of F1 I read that F1 in the past had been owned by Bambino Holdings of the Ecclestone family. Is there a connection with the fact that Monty called everyone Bambino?

Stefano Domenicali: Knowing a little about Monty’s history, I have to say that he was also the person who facilitated the meeting between Bernie and Slavica and certainly his way of being, of always greeting with “Bambino!” has remained in the minds of many… so I can think that Bernie also used the name Bambino… because evidently also in the life of those who have done Formula 1 Monty has been very important… for me his “Ciao Bambino!” was a form of respect… I have always seen it that way.

Audrey: What kind of person was Monty?

Stefano Domenicali: … I saw him in the motor world, I saw him in the fashion world, I saw him in the luxury world when he was creative director of Richemont…. but anyway, beyond everything… I always saw “Monty” in quotation marks…. always the same… in the sense that he was no different depending on where he went…. I always found a person who could be, with me when I was a “kid” and I was a very normal person and with me now that I represent another type of role, and with the greatest people in the entertainment world, I have always found him to be the same person and so for me this is a great value.

In life, one must be proud of being equal with everyone, beyond the role, the rank, the age: in short, a form of respect that makes you grow in relationships with the people who are close to you.

We had two important projects with Lamborghini where we were collaborative where he had the idea of ​​doing something special together and then I have to say that beyond all the projects related to his photographic books where he explained and narrated the story of unique and extraordinary characters, with very important collaborations, well this is there for all to see.

This is the synthesis of what… he managed to create and so I have to say this remains.

The physicality of a book goes beyond the ease of use of a digital product, a photo printed in a quality context is a work of art and on this he… I believe… was one of the first to understand its value and to propose products that… are still in the right places today… and this shows that… he had evidently understood where one needs to be.

Audrey: What was his greatest gift?

Stefano Domenicali: Monty’s ability has always been to create a special relationship with all the people who were with him, evidently he had this quality: to ignite, on the one hand, interest, because otherwise you don’t create a relationship with a person, but on the other hand to keep this interest alive. He was able to create relationships with people who made history, in this case of sports, and he was able to prepare, have and spread images that left their mark… that left the memory of these people who then grew up with him because then later, over time he too, I remember some moments with Sylvester Stallone when he came to the races in Monza or in other places, where there was Sylvester Stallone there was him, and you couldn’t see him if he wasn’t there.

Audrey: Were you there when the photo was taken with Stallone and Schumacher and Monty?

Stefano Domenicali: I was there…. of course… I remember it…. the photo of Stallone with Schumacher in the Ferrari box…… I remember it…. I was on the other side of the camera because in those years, during the Schumacher period, Monty accompanied Sylvester Stallone and so I remember that he organized the meeting in the box….. but anyway….. nothing to say about that!!!!!! He was always one step ahead!….. and Monty activated this contact.

Audrey: If Monty were here, what would you say to him?

Stefano Domenicali: …. we will continue to discuss the projects that we had on the table and that life has decided to end…. right now we are discussing other projects that can remember Monty because what he did we want to celebrate, at the right time….. so we are discussing this….

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