A heated political dispute has erupted in Imola over spending connected with efforts to bring Formula 1 back to the city, with mayor Marco Panieri defending official trips made as the circuit pursues the possibility of staging a Grand Prix in December. Imola has remained active in its efforts to secure a possible Formula 1 return, but those efforts have now become the subject of a sharp clash inside the city council.
During yesterday’s Imola City Council meeting, Marco Panieri addressed the issue of official travel after opposition councillor Simone Carapia submitted a request for access to the relevant records. The mayor provided part of the documentation covering expenses incurred by the municipality and the activities carried out during the trips. For missions such as the visit to Singapore, flights and accommodation were not paid for by the municipality but by Formula Imola, a wholly publicly owned company because it is 100% held by Con.Ami.
Marco Panieri defends trips linked to Imola F1 return
Marco Panieri strongly defended the usefulness of his Formula 1-related trips, as reported by Il Resto del Carlino. “We are still in the running, but we have to choose whether we all believe in it together for the good of the city or not,” he said.
The mayor also expressed irritation at accusations that he was using taxpayers’ money for holidays. “It really bothered me to hear people say that I go on holiday with the money of Imola residents. I would like to introduce a time clock for the mayor: I work a considerable number of hours, without holidays or leave.” According to Marco Panieri, the official trips are intended to strengthen institutional relationships and create new opportunities for Imola.
He continued: “If we want events, initiatives and new opportunities for Imola, we have to do it. If we stay rooted in our city, nothing happens. And we do not achieve results. If we want to aspire only to routine administration, then we do not make these trips. Otherwise, we try everything possible to achieve results: sometimes we succeed, other times we do not.”
Marco Panieri also pointed to a documentary produced with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a concrete example of the positive results generated by relationships developed through these trips. The documentary consists of five episodes, one of which is entirely dedicated to Imola, and is intended for Italian embassies around the world.
Opposition questions travel spending and city priorities
Nicolas Vacchi, the Fratelli d’Italia group leader, challenged the suggestion that the mayor’s official trips are decisive for bringing the Grand Prix back to Imola. “It seems as though they are the only tool for bringing F1 back here. As if, if Panieri does not go, the Grand Prix will not return, while if he does go, it will definitely return. But there are other actors involved, such as the government,” he said.
Simone Carapia instead argued that the city should not concentrate all of its efforts on the circuit. “I would like the mayor to put this commitment not only into bringing back the Grand Prix, which we all want, but also into healthcare in our area, roads and publicly owned companies. These are the priorities. We are ready to cooperate, but there has to be reciprocity.”
Imola mayor says Formula 1 return is not guaranteed
Marco Panieri reiterated the work carried out over the years through contacts and visits to different circuits in an effort to keep Imola in contention for Formula 1. He stressed that the objective is ambitious, but a Grand Prix return is not automatic and depends on decisions involving several different parties.
The council majority, formed by the Democratic Party and Imola Corre, supported the mayor’s account of the situation.
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