Haute Living and Fairmont Austin Toast Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, During U.S. Grand Prix Week

As race week took hold of the Texas capital, an intimate cocktail reception gathered leaders from sport, entertainment and business to celebrate the executive steering Formula 1’s remarkable American ascent.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

April Irene Donelson and Stefano Domenicali beside his Haute Living cover.

Few figures have shaped the modern era of motorsport quite like Stefano Domenicali. Since taking the helm as President & CEO of Formula 1 in 2021, the former Ferrari team principal and Lamborghini chief executive has overseen a period of extraordinary growth for the sport, nowhere more visibly than in the United States, where Formula 1 now stages three Grands Prix a season and Austin has become one of the most anticipated stops on the calendar.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

Al Hill, Stefano Domenicali and Bryce Huff.

So it was fitting that, as U.S. Grand Prix week got underway, Haute Living, in partnership with Fairmont Austin, hosted an intimate cocktail reception in Domenicali’s honor on Thursday, October 22. Part of Haute Living’s invitation-only Haute Black series, the evening unfolded in a private space at Fairmont Austin, in the heart of downtown yet a world away from the noise of race week. Representing the host hotel, Matthew Day, Director, National Accounts at Fairmont Austin, welcomed guests on behalf of the property.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

Marc Segarra, Rochi Iglesias, Stefano Domenicali and guest.

Guests arrived to a room bathed in warm light and lined with plush banquettes, where Haute Living’s cover portrait of the guest of honor, billed “The Visionary Driving Formula 1’s Global Evolution at Full Throttle,” was on display. Domenicali, relaxed and generous with his time, moved easily through the room, sharing conversation and posing for photographs with guests throughout the evening.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

The Crab & Shrimp Cocktail Bar.

The guest list reflected the many worlds that Formula 1 now touches. From the gridiron came Bryce Huff, the professional NFL defensive end, who joined Domenicali for one of the night’s standout portraits alongside Al Hill, Co-Founder & Managing Member of Rose Hill, unmistakable in his cowboy hat and a nod to the evening’s Texas setting. Emmy-nominated writer, director and producer Rohit Karn Batra brought a dose of Hollywood to the gathering, while Haute Living Managing Director April Irene Donelson joined the guest of honor beside his cover.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

April Irene Donelson, Al Hill, Rohit Karn Batra and Bryce Huff.

A strong Argentine contingent underscored the sport’s global reach. Orlando “Orly” Terranova, the elite rally driver who achieved a career-best fourth overall finish at the 2022 Dakar Rally and who serves as CEO of Grupo OSD, was on hand alongside Felipe McGough, the Argentine Formula 1 producer, driver representative and media strategist, and Gaston Parisier, Founder & CEO of Bigbox and Commercial Director for Franco Colapinto. The trio gathered with Domenicali for a photograph that captured the easy camaraderie of the evening.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

Gaston Parisier, Orlando “Orly” Terranova, Felipe McGough and Stefano Domenicali.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

The Cheese & Charcuterie station.

The evening drew familiar faces from music and screen as well. J. Rey Soul, the Filipino-American singer who became the female voice of the Black Eyed Peas in 2018, joined the celebration, as did Rochi Iglesias, the Argentine actress, singer and songwriter who rose to fame across Latin America as a teen television icon. Marc Segarra, Managing Partner at international sports marketing firm ISL Agency, rounded out a guest list that spanned continents and industries.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

April Irene Donelson and J. Rey Soul.

The menu was every bit as polished as the company. Passed canapés set an indulgent tone: Smoked Salmon Blini with dill crème fraîche, cured egg yolk and Royal Ossetra caviar; Lobster Toast with citrus aïoli on brioche; Beef Tartare with Dijon and capers on toasted crostini; Lamb Meatballs with a mint and pistachio salsa verde; and Roasted Tomato Arancini with confit garlic and lemon aioli.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

Guests fill the room at Fairmont Austin.

Two grazing stations invited guests to linger. A Crab & Shrimp Cocktail Bar offered poached shrimp and crab claws with cocktail sauce, citrus aïoli, lemon and lime, while a Cheese & Charcuterie spread paired local and international cheeses and cured meats with house jam, whole grain mustard, honey, cornichons, pickled vegetables and olives.

At the bar, the menu nodded to its Texas setting. The Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita combined Hornitos Reposado tequila with Giffard pineapple liqueur, fresh pineapple, lime and a touch of agave and jalapeño tincture. The Austin Mule paired the city’s own Tito’s vodka with fresh pressed ginger, lime and soda, and for those keeping a clear head ahead of race weekend, the High Tea Mocktail blended Seedlip Grove 42 with hibiscus tea, lemon and soda.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

The evening’s cocktail menu: Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita, Austin Mule and High Tea Mocktail.

As the evening drew to a close, guests lingered over a final drink and one last photograph with the man at the center of it all. For two hours on a Thursday night in Austin, the room offered a rare, unhurried moment with the executive who has done so much to bring Formula 1 to American audiences, and a fitting prelude to the roar of race weekend.

Photo Credit: Ben Porter

Guests mingle during the evening.