It’s been repeated for months now. Having two races in Italy will become increasingly unsustainable, given the overwhelming number of requests that arrive daily at Liberty Media’s offices. And so, after the announcement of Monza‘s renewal, Imola’s future in F1 seems increasingly distant, as recently confirmed by Stefano Domenicali himself.
The former Ferrari man, now head of the Formula 1 group, has long highlighted all the critical issues surrounding the possibility of hosting two Grands Prix in Italy. In recent years, the popularity of the premier class of motorsport has grown exponentially, resulting in an increasing number of countries wanting to see Hamilton and company race on their streets.
For this reason, as also confirmed during the renewal of Spa-Francorchamps‘ contract, one of the main topics for F1’s future will be calendar rotation. In the coming years, the championship will increasingly feature some fixed events and others that will rotate in and out of the schedule.
Imola’s future seems sealed
Speaking during the podcast “La politica nel pallone,” Stefano Domenicali addressed what the future holds for Imola in Formula 1. “I believe that Italy has always been and always will be an important part of Formula 1’s history. In the future, having two Grands Prix in the same country will become increasingly difficult as interest in our sport continues to grow. It’s something we’ll be discussing in the coming months, although at present, it seems very difficult to sustain this kind of situation for much longer,” stated the F1 CEO.
“Imola responded significantly during a difficult time like the Covid period, when it was hard to find tracks. That must not be forgotten. In the coming months, we will have to make a decision which, on a personal level, won’t be easy, but at the same time, I hold an international role that exposes me to a huge number of requests from all over the world,” Stefano Domenicali added.
Strong words that leave little hope for the future of the Imola Grand Prix within the Formula 1 calendar. Naturally, Italian fans (and others) still hope that the circuit named after Enzo and Dino Ferrari will remain part of the motorsport world, perhaps as part of the rotation that is becoming an increasingly constant feature.
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