Less than a month away from the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, scheduled for the weekend of September 1st to 3rd, ACI President Angelo Sticchi Damiani has expressed certain concerns about the ticket sales trend for the event. Monza is, in fact, one of the few European circuits that has not yet officially renewed its contract for the upcoming years, having one of the shortest-term deadlines in the current calendar.
Sticchi Damiani’s Concerns about Ticket Sales and the Future of the Monza Grand Prix on the Calendar
“In July, we expected a better response regarding ticket sales. Although Charles Leclerc’s podium with Ferrari gives us some hope,” the ACI President stated in an interview with Il Giorno. “Even if we have to forget about last year’s record of 330,000 attendees. I hope we can find a balance.”
Last year, also due to a much more competitive F1-75 compared to the current SF23, there was a record attendance of the audience. It will be much more complicated to replicate the numbers of the previous edition, with Ferrari struggling significantly compared to the dominant Red Bull.
Even last year, around this time, the F1-75 began a slow decline, not helped by Directive TD/39. This directive effectively shattered the already faint hopes of Maranello’s men for the championship. Nevertheless, Charles Leclerc managed to finish the race in second place, celebrating the podium in front of the sea of red.
Regarding the renewal for the next five years, Sticchi Damiani commented: “ACI holds the Italian Grand Prix, which is and will be in Monza, but we are not the owners of the circuit. We manage it through our company Sias, based on a concession agreement with the Parco e Villa Consortium, which, however, is valid until 2028. That is our deadline.”
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“It depends on the fact that the Consortium is a ‘management project’ for the Parco e Villa Reale complex, which lasts until 2029. Currently, we are certain we can manage the circuit only until 2028. But renewing with Formula 1 for just three years is not feasible. It would be uneconomical. We trust that a shared solution can be found to ensure peace of mind for all interested parties.” – he pointed out.
Not long ago, the Red Bull Ring announced a renewal until 2030, while the Hungaroring has extended its contract by five years, securing a spot on the Formula One calendar until 2032. For Monza, too, the aspiration is to renew at least until 2030, as extending the contract for only three years would not be economically advantageous.
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