Lamborghini’s current CEO Stephan Winkelmann is said to be replaced by Stefano Domenicali, the former chief of Ferrari’s Formula One team, according to sources close to Automotive News Europe.
The 51-year old became President and CEO of the Italian supercar maker in January 2005 and his departure in February 2016 would take place after a successful year for Lamborghini. The brand managed to sell a record 2,530 cars in 2014, which is up 19% compared to the previous year, and Winkelmann stated that we will witness a new record in terms of car sales this year due to strong sales and demands of the Huracan model. The brand is also planning to boost its sales with a Lamborghini SUV to be launched in 2018 that would score 3,000 new registrations every year.
Rumor has it that Winkelmann will become head of Quattro GmbH for Audi, which is Lamborghini’s parent company, replacing the retiring Heinz Hollerwege. If this is the case, Winkelmann wil be in charge of all the RS models.
Domenicali is said to become the new head of Lamborghini by the end of the year as the Italian executive became the leader of innovative projects for Audi last year and has engaged in creating a proposal for Audi to buy the Red Bull Formula One team. However, the plan never came to life as the VW Group was looking to cut costs due to its emissions cheating scandal.
The German daily newspaper Donaukurier reported that the VW Group is satisfied with Winkelmann’s performance with Lamborghini and will give one of its longest serving CEOs another position in the company. Lamborghini declined to comment on the information.