Monza Saved

Headed into the Italian Grand Prix weekend the future of the event at Monza was still under threat.

It seems that every few years one race always appears to be under threat of losing its slot on the Formula One calendar.

In the past it has been Silverstone, Australia has been a regular doubt and in more recent years Germany has struggled.

Throughout 2015 the long-term future of the Italian Grand Prix appeared to be under threat.

The idea of Formula One going ahead without a home race for Ferrari didn’t really seem plausible, since the start of the Formula One World Championship in 1950, Monza has hosted the Italian Grand Prix every year, apart from in 1980 when Imola staged the event.

In 2015, financial issues appeared to suggest that the Italian Grand Prix could either alternate between Monza and Imola, who themselves have a long standing history within F1 with Imola holding their own Grand Prix, hosting the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 until 2006 or dropping off the calendar altogether.

The threat remained very real and the naysayers only had to look to France, who haven’t hosted a Formula One Grand Prix since 2008 despite many successful drivers coming from France and of course the influence of Renault as an example.

But over the course of the weekend an announcement was made which saved the event with a new three-year-deal.

‘Regretfully legally we can’t sign it here – but more important is that we have an agreement thanks to our lawyers and we are getting all the small details sorted,’ Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone flanked by FIA president Jean Todt and ACI chief Angelo Sticchi Damiani said at a press conference, quoted by motorsport.com.

‘There is no problem in having the race here. The contract will be for three years but I hope we are here for 100 years.

‘We are going to sign it in London. We cannot sign it here, but everyone should be happy we are going to keep the race at Monza.’