Sticchi Damiani: “After Monza, we will work to keep Imola in F1”

After the COVID-19 pandemic, Formula 1 has returned to holding two Grand Prix in Italy on a regular basis. Only the flood of 2023 blocked the holding of the Emilia Romagna and Made in Italy Grand Prix, but the Monza-Imola pairing will last until the end of the 2025 season.

With ACI involved in the contract renewal for Monza, the future of Imola does not seem so clear. In fact, the impression is that Formula 1 has no intention of racing twice a year in Italy again.

ACI Sport president Angelo Sticchi Damiani said the current priority is to renew the contract for the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Then, once the documents are signed, the Automobile Club’s top brass will turn their attention to Imola. The dream is to keep the two races in Formula 1, but for now it is a dream and should be treated as such.

“We will definitely still have Imola and Monza together on the calendar because there is still a year of contract for Imola. Then there was talk during the flood and a little later of recovering the 2023 edition in 2026. This is the first objective. Once the contract for Monza is defined and closed, we will focus and get to work heart and soul for Imola. Having 2 Grands Prix in Italy is a dream. We know it is a dream and we want it to continue, but it is still a dream”.

Meanwhile, at the Monza racetrack, modernization works have been completed to ensure the future of the Brianza track still in Formula 1.

All this that has been done in recent months has been aimed at convincing Formula 1 to keep the Italian Grand Prix on the calendar, perhaps finding an agreement that is five years or, even better, ten years.

“The improvements have been made on the track and under the track. We have reached the foundation up to the upper layer. So we have a perfect track from the point of view of the surface and above all robust, able to last many, many years and not have any kind of problem. And we have widened, fixed and completely divided the flow of pedestrians from that of vehicles, be they cars, vans etc…. They will have a lot of space available, so we have also increased safety”.

“As for the contract renewal, we will have to try to conclude quickly. What we need is to report, update those costs to today. But we will be able to do the works that were planned in 2019 with the resources we have available and to transform the current press room into an additional space for Formula 1, that of the Paddock Club. This means greatly enriching the offer to Formula 1 in the hope, indeed, in the belief that all this will be taken into account in setting the agreement for the next 5-10 years”.