After the announcement of the “non-performance of the GP”, the ACI president considers the extension of the Imola contract to 2026 practically certain
Shortly after F1’s official announcement that the Emilia Romagna GP was not held this weekend due to weather conditions, Automovel Club Italiano (ACI) president Angelo Sticchi Damiani made very candid statements on the upcoming go to the GP.
“It has been decided to cancel the Imola GP. Almost 99% chance it will be reinstated in 2026 after the contract extension,” said the spokesperson.
It is a solution similar to what was done with Spa after the 2021 “non-race”. The contract expired in 2022 and, as a form of compensation, F1 negotiated an extension of the date with the organization, the agreement remaining until at the end of this season.
Being a GP by the end of the year would be a logistical and commitment challenge. The only discounted window that opens is immediately after the Belgian GP (July 30), but at the beginning of the teams’ summer break. At present, reducing these holidays would be like lighting a powder keg in the paddock, especially in the face of mechanics exhausted by the current pace. At a time when there is talk of a winter break (the 2024 regulation already provides for the closure of the establishments between Christmas and New Year’s), talking about a reduction in holidays is rash.
Even with the current deal running until 2025, Damiani had led the talks for the continuation of the Imola calendar, as well as the negotiations to raise funds for the modernization of Monza, thus ensuring proof after the expiry of the current deal.
The fact is that Imola guarantees approximately 25 million dollars a year to F1 and guarantees European prevalence in the calendar. However, with the queue of cities that want to host the category, a lot of saliva (and dollars) will have to be spent on maintenance, given that, even with the latest internet solutions, the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit is considered “small” by current F1 standards .
Source: Terra
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