Formula 1 Group CEO Stefano Domenicali has said that the future of Monza as the host of the Italian Grand Prix is up in the air, unless the track can implement some key new updates.
The ‘Temple of Speed’ has been on the F1 calendar since 1950, and has hosted the Italian GP in every year bar one since then.
It holds the record for the number of F1 races held by any single circuit with 72. Lewis Hamilton has won a joint-record five of those, with Michael Schumacher also taking five victories at the track.
Three of Schumacher’s came with the Ferrari team, at a track that is synonymous with the prancing horse brand.
The Tifosi roar on their favourite Ferrari drivers year in, year out, and the pressure on the shoulders of the two racers driving for the red team at Monza is unlike any other in motorsport.
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the most iconic events on the F1 calendar
Michael Schumacher claimed five victories at Monza
Stefano Domenicali used to be Ferrari team principal
Imola likely Monza replacement
Now Domenicali, who used to be Ferrari team principal, has backed up fears that Monza may not be on the calendar once its current contract runs out in 2025.
“We are negotiating but we need elements to carry this negotiation forward,” he told Rai Radio’s ‘La Politica nel Pallone’ podcast.
“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 push is a constructive push. We must keep pace with the times.
“In 2020, Imola had an extraordinary opportunity and were ready for the unexpected call. The flood tragedy then didn’t allow us to race so we can’t wait to race there again, but it’s all about understanding the desire to invest in F1 as a racing platform.
“Entertainment and business can no longer be on a private level. It is our country that must make a precise choice.”
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