20 December 2023 , 16:01
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F1's top boss failed to guarantee the Italian Grand Prix's future on the sport's calendar despite claims that a contract extension is imminent.
Monza is one of the most iconic venues still visited annually by the sport and is more than 100 years old. And its current deal guarantees a race at the Temple of Speed until at least 2025.
That means two races in Italy every year until then as the Imola track which hosts the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has a contract of the same length. But Monza's place in F1's plans beyond that date are less certain.
Angelo Sticchi Damiani, the president of the Italian Automobile Club, recently made out as though extensions for both races were a formality. And F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that talks are indeed progressing.
But he stopped short of agreeing that renewals are around the corner. A particular sticking point regarding the Italian Grand Prix seems to be delays in renovation work that was due to begin at the Monza track months ago.
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"We are indeed negotiating with Monza and Imola about a possible contract extension," he told Italian media outlet Rai. "I am in good contact with the motorsport federation in Italy, but the work at Monza was supposed to start after the Grand Prix and still hasn't started in December. It should now start in the near future.
"My pressure is constructive, but internal bureaucracies should not be able to stop certain projects. We have to move with the times. In 2020 Imola was given an extraordinary opportunity and they were ready for it. This year, unfortunately, we couldn't race there because of the floods.
"We are looking forward to racing there again next year, but you also have to understand that we cannot invest more privately. It's all about understanding our country's willingness to invest in F1 as a sporting, promotional and business platform, because Formula 1 can no longer be privately managed."
Domenicali had previously made it clear how important he feels those renovations are to Monza's future in F1. He said in early September: "They confirmed to me that the necessary renovation work on the facility will begin after the end of the [2023] Grand Prix. It's an important step, because next year it's necessary to show signs of improvement.
"The history of Monza is beyond question, but we also need to keep up with the times in terms of services, which must be in line with the prices paid by those who come to the racetrack. Within the next year, we will have clear ideas about the future."