F1 CEO Building Pressure On Monza To Start Overdue Upgrade Work As Contract Expiry Looms
The Monza circuit is set for a further contract extension to continue its presence on the Formula 1 calendar but the sport's CEO Stefano Domenicali has been mounting pressure on track authorities to begin the upgrade work that was scheduled to start in September.
Domenicali verified ongoing discussions regarding the contract extension for the Italian circuit. This confirmation followed last month's disclosure by Angelo Sticchi Damiani, the chief of the Italian Grand Prix, that the terms and conditions for hosting the Grand Prix at Monza and Imola had been finalized.
However, despite the confirmation, Domenicali stressed the need for Monza to prioritize the scheduled upgrade work, slated for September this year after the Grand Prix event, to secure its inclusion in the calendar.
Speaking to Rai, Domenicali said:
"We are indeed negotiating with Monza and Imola about a possible contract extension.
"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."
