Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene says the team is not involved in discussions over the future of the Italian Grand Prix.
Monza’s future as the home of the race is under threat as the race organisers are yet to agree terms for a new deal with Bernie Ecclestone.
Speaking during today’s FIA press conference Arrivabene made it clear he wants the race to stay at Monza, but said “we are not negotiating with Bernie – it’s not our job, it’s not our responsibility”.
“Having said so, I think the grand prix of Italy is Monza,” he added. “And I want to be very clear on that.”
Arrivabene believes Formula One should protect a “core” of historic rounds of the championship, including Monza. “There is a core of Formula One that in my opinion is represented by Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, Hockenheim, Silverstone and Monaco,” he said.
“And I think we have to preserve it because every person that it’s losing is own culture, he is losing the roots, is not any more a person. If we are talking about a human being. But also for this kind of thing. If we are losing the core, in my opinion, we are losing the show.”
“So I think we can do everything it’s in our possibility to defend the grand prix and a clear statement is the following: The grand prix of Italy is Monza. And the second sentence is we need to preserve the core of Formula One.”
“I have nothing against all the other grand prix because it’s an international show. But I mean even a show needs to have a core and the core for Formula One is the number of grand prix that I mentioned before.”
“This is my personal opinion and it’s also I think our opinion as Ferrari.”
reg (@reg)
4th September 2015, 17:41
Seems a bit of a stretch to sneak Hockenheim into that “core” list unless we bring back the old straights into the forest. I suppose he is just saying it is important to have a German Grand Prix, and Hockenheim is most economically viable.
Neil (@neilosjames)
4th September 2015, 20:14
Yeah, I think that makes sense. I’m in a minority it seems because I don’t mind the new Hockenheim layout, but even I couldn’t consider it a ‘core’ track… whereas Germany itself should always be on the calendar.
And France, I’d like to say, if it had a decent track/a track that wasn’t hideously ugly.
beneboy (@beneboy)
4th September 2015, 20:28
@neilosjames
Le Mans is a pretty awesome circuit, I don’t think it’s up to F1 standards, and is definitely too long to get approved, but it’s still amazing and I’d love to see it host a GP.
jale
4th September 2015, 20:48
Circuit de la Sarthe is beautiful. But I only watched 24 Heures du Mans there, so I don’t know how good it would be for F1. It’s a magical place where the race goes on for a whole day and night. Especially nights are beautiful.
rick
5th September 2015, 11:36
they had the french grand prix at Le Mans once, late sixties, but used the Bugatti au mans track, the one used by Moto GP. would like to see the full track used but think it would be unlikely. does Bernie not own paul riccard now?
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
5th September 2015, 10:05
@reg Replace “Hockenheim” with “Nuerburgring” though…..
And I think AUT should be on here too. Probably The circuit Gilles Villeneuve as well. Magny-Cours…probably not, but there are other French circuits to choose from (no, not Le Mans:).
R.J. O'Connell (@rjoconnell)
4th September 2015, 17:43
I’m one of the optimistic people over Monza’s future. I think the race is too big to be scrapped.
But I want to bring up something here. A continent away in Darlington, SC, USA, NASCAR’s reviving the Southern 500, back on its original Labor Day holiday weekend date. They’re doing it with pomp, pageantry, several amazing retro liveries, even the broadcasters are having fun with the throwback celebrations in a celebration of the sport’s heritage. And ironically, that was a race that had been lost for a few years in the past decade, as NASCAR expanded westward.
In Monza, there’s no special celebrations of the sport’s heritage. Toro Rosso isn’t going back to Minardi black & yellow, Ferrari isn’t paying homage to the “shark nose” 156 F1. Formula One may be seeing the last Italian Grand Prix at Monza for a while, mostly because FOM wants more money out of the race organizers. There’s a disconnect here.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
5th September 2015, 10:06
@rjoconnel Magny-Cours happened though, so Monza….very well could.
Fixy (@)
4th September 2015, 18:36
The Italian press are reporting Ecclestone has said it’s “unlikely” the GP will be kept. He says “we have a product to sell, the race organisers need to decide whether they want to buy it”.
Certainly F1 is the highlight of Monza’s season, but it’s also the other way round. A renewal would do good to both, a parting of ways would do harm to both. The only logic for the latter to happen would be someone egocentric thinking he’s the only one who has power. Losing Monza to me would mean more than seeing the race count drop to 18.
lexlut
4th September 2015, 18:45
Well. Next year we’ll have Mercedes domination continued. And I think they will win the one after that too. Who knows if they will lose their advantage after that. So it won’t matter what circuits they lose as there won’t be any competition in any case.
Yoshisune (@yobo01)
4th September 2015, 18:48
I just don’t see how anyone wouldn’t want Monza on the calendar. I was there today and I was very surprised to see that the grandstands were basically full. And it’s only Friday, I can’t imagine what’s going to happen on Sunday. I know that this happens because on Friday everyone can go to the grandstands, including people with general admission, but still I was impressed to see so many people today.
I don’t know, maybe I’m not thinking about the financial situation, but with so many people it can’t be that bad.
paulguitar (@paulguitar)
4th September 2015, 19:41
thank you Maurizio Arrivabene!
What a contrast to what that prize pillock Tost said recently, that f1 should only go to wherever can afford it………
dynamite
4th September 2015, 22:55
Comments are getting lost here!!!!
Tlux
5th September 2015, 1:21
We should preserve the historic circuits like Spa, Silverstone, Monza, Monaco.
But only when the circuits themselves put the effort in to stay on the calendar. Silverstone did that a few years back with the new pits and circuit redesign to improve their product.
I’ve been to Monza, and it’s great, but a lot more can be done to improve their offering.
History should count for something, just not everything.
Fikri Harish (@)
5th September 2015, 11:35
Agreed.
Can I also add that F1 is a World Championship instead of a European Championship? Historically speaking, Arrivebene’s right about those tracks but I’d go out on a limb and state that Interlagos, Montreal, Suzuka, Sepang and Albert Park is also integral to F1. COTA’s still too young but I can see that track being as integral as those I mentioned in the future. Unless they can somehow put Watkins Glen back on the calendar.
I should hope that losing one of those tracks would inspire the same fervor as what has been shown for Monza.
Also, a good initiative would be to not schedule the race based solely on the comforts of European viewers. If I can stay up until 5 am on MONDAY in lovely Indonesia for the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix knowing full well I have an important meeting in 5 hours time, then you guys should be willing to make the same sacrifice.
Mega (@)
5th September 2015, 1:59
There are two sides to this story. There are two players. Yet everyone here is convinced its all Bernie’s fault. How many of you know what the organizers/promoters are saying or demanding in the contracts? Don’t be so quick to pass judgement without knowing the whole story.