Domenicali ups pressure on Monza after contract extension claims

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has upped the pressure on Monza after the boss of Italian motorsport claimed a contract renewal was imminent.

Angelo Sticchi Damiani claimed last month that deals for contract renewals for Monza to host the Italian Grand Prix and Imola the Emilia Romagna race were already agreed with F1 and that continuing to host two races in Italy was a "crazy" achievement.

While Domenicali confirmed talks were ongoing, he felt Monza needed to start pre-planned construction work that had been pencilled in for September.

"We are indeed negotiating with Monza and Imola about a possible contract extension," he told Rai.

"I am in good contact with the motorsport federation in Italy, but the work at Monza was supposed to start after the Grand Prix and still hasn't started in December. It should now start in the near future.

"My pressure is constructive, but internal bureaucracies should not be able to stop certain projects.

"We have to move with the times. In 2020 Imola was given an extraordinary opportunity and they were ready for it.

"This year, unfortunately, we couldn't race there because of the floods. We are looking forward to racing there again next year, but you also have to understand that we cannot invest more privately.

"It's all about understanding our country's willingness to invest in F1 as a sporting, promotional and business platform, because Formula 1 can no longer be privately managed."