Much missed in the F1 paddock since his shock resignation one year ago is former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali, now dividing his time between working for Audi and serving as the head of the FIA Single-Seater Commission.
It was in the latter role that Domenicali attended last weekend's round of the FIA F3 European Championship, run at Silverstone Circuit alongside the World Endurance Championship round taking place that weekend. Over the course of an informal round table discussion, the popular Italian spoke of the importance of encouraging a passion for motorsport among the younger generation, and his plans to close the gap between the nascent FIA F3 Championship and Formula One.
"From the FIA's perspective, F3 has been planned over the last couple of years and now is on the stage in order to make sure that there is a path that is starting from the basics after karting and the F4 national championship, then F3 international championship," Domenicali said. "Then, we will discuss later [how] we will close the gap between F3 and F1, because we believe that one of the assets and one of the duties of the international Federation is to make sure there is a consistent path of growing in which drivers can really perform.
"Talking about the young generation, it is important not only to give opportunities to the drivers, but also to the teams and to the race engineers, the mechanics, to all the environment of motorsport to grow.
"That was the philosophy that was behind the thinking of the championship: that it has to be for all the people that are involved in the world of motorsport, because sometimes - and it may be correct - we concentrate only on the drivers, but it is important also to have the passion of engineers, the passion of mechanics and that is a great opportunity for them to be involved."
With the ultimate goal being to create a ladder of progression running from F4 to F3 to F2 and up to Formula One, there has been speculation that a future FIA F2 championship may take the place of GP2 and GP3 as a support category run at F1 weekends, giving up and coming drivers and engineers the chance to demonstrate their skills under the noses of prospective future employers.
Asked whether that was the goal, Domenicali refused to be drawn on the topic but did acknowledge that it was a matter for discussion.
"This is something that today I cannot say, because it is part of the discussion that we are going to have in the next couple of months," he said. "The approach has to be one from the performance and the cost perspective; has to be something in the middle, and has to be something that will be the last step before arriving in Formula One.
"What we need to avoid is to cannibalise everything and not have the possibility for other drivers or teams to have their chance," Domenicali continued. "I can see, for example, in the future once again a possible Formula 3 classic, where if you have a potential drivers, with teams, with old cars and want to race, they can have the chance to do it."
It was the subject of ensuring future generations grow up with a passion for motorsport that saw the Italian at his most emotive.
"There is one thing that in my view we need to be very careful about: do not underestimate the automotive approach with the young generation. It is very easy for them to see cars as a commodity or as a part of the need to move. We need to make sure that motorsport is something that is coming from the passion of motorsport, because if we lose that there will be a problem. That's also a challenge for the manufacturers for the future and the time is running very quickly.
"We have a duty from the Federation to make sure that the passion for motorsport is deployed in the right way; not only simulations, but on track and giving them the chance to [follow] racing using new media, because that is part of the new story. On the other hand, to make sure that the traditional media have the chance to develop stories, to explain to the situation is very important.
"The role of all of us, in different characteristics and positions, is crucial and I'm positive to see an environment here that is the right approach and that's what I, in my position as the president of the Single-Seater Commission, would like to push."
Additional reporting by Leigh O'Gorman.