Angelo Sticchi Damiani rules out Imola race recovery in 2023: "It would be unfair"

In the Monte Carlo paddock, Formula 1 was once again a topic of discussion, but thoughts continued to turn to the tragedy that struck Emilia-Romagna. At the moment, there are simply too many efforts required to rebuild the affected regions, which would make it logistically complex and ethically wrong to organize a Grand Prix in the coming months. Angelo Sticchi Damiani, President of the Automobile Club of Italy, spoke about the future prospects for the Imola race.

Thoughts for the victims
“The first thought goes to those who lost their lives,” Angelo Sticchi Damiani comments for FormulaPassion. “It was an absurd event that we cannot explain. Our thoughts also go to those who lost their homes, their jobs, the industry, and agriculture… It is an important territory with many small and medium-sized enterprises that represent a unique productive fabric in Italy. Unfortunately, they will have to roll up their sleeves to put everything back in order. We are confident that by 2024, the entire region will be in a condition where the Grand Prix can take place smoothly and, above all, there will be the desire and mindset to do it. Today, there are other priorities, much more serious and urgent.” – he explained.

The positive aspect within the tragedy was the timeliness of the cancellation, in contrast to previous instances where Formula 1 postponed until the last moment. The President recounts: “On Thursday morning before the race, I spoke with Stefano Domenicali, Minister Salvini, and President Bonaccini. We agreed that the conditions were not there, and we preferred to stop to avoid further damage and inconvenience to those who were getting ready to go to Imola. At that moment, there were still three thousand people working at the circuit. It was painful to send everyone home, but it was also the right choice.” According to Angelo Sticchi Damiani, there is nothing the organization could have done differently: “We have no regrets of any kind. Everything was done correctly and promptly. As it is right, we are also refunding the purchased tickets.” – the president of the ACI Federation continued.

No recovery in 2023
The President of ACI reiterates the proposal outlined in recent days:

“The proposal I immediately presented was to reschedule the race at the end of the contract in 2026. Beyond the dramatic situation at that time in the territorial context, the idea of racing in July and having two races in Italy within two months, with Monza in September, did not seem feasible. Moreover, there will be other priorities by July. It would not be fair to waste energy on the Grand Prix. We will calmly do it in 2024 when the situation has normalized or nearly normalized. It will also be an opportunity for this land to show the world its ability to react and rebuild.” – he added.

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WEC mania
Fortunately, the current moment also brings positive news for the Italian motorsport scene. In just over a month, Monza will host the 6 Hours of WEC, an event for which pre-sales are going strong. “I have always believed strongly in the WEC. I was the one who, three years ago, said that it was not possible for Italy to be excluded from the WEC, and Monza had the suitable characteristics. It has been two years of sacrifices, but now with the arrival of Ferrari, everything is easier. Attention in Italy has increased significantly. Ferrari has shown that it can compete with important Italian drivers as well. For example, we have our Antonio Giovinazzi, whom we follow with great attention and affection. I have great confidence in this event, which comes two months before the Grand Prix, so it’s a sort of dress rehearsal,” concluded Angelo Sticchi Damiani.