10.07.2024
“The runway modernization works have been completed”. The President of the ACI announced it to Corriere della Sera
78,000 square meters of track redone in six months with 92 vehicles and 240 workers, and now the track of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is ready: “the Formula 1 Grand Prix scheduled for September 1st will take place”. The President of the Automobile Club of Italy, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, reassures enthusiasts and fans in a long interview with Corriere della Sera.
The works were completed four days ahead of the date established by the International Automobile Federation, facing many problems, starting with the bad weather which slowed down the construction sites with the frequent winter rains. “Even some preventive processes were more complicated than expected – states Sticchi Damiani – but the restyling was decisive for safety”.
In addition to the resurfacing of the entire track with a more high-performance and draining asphalt, three underpasses were demolished and rebuilt, with the addition of a totally new one. Now the public entering and exiting the stands walks along pedestrian walkways higher than the road level, so as to eliminate the risk of collisions or collisions. Also from a logistical point of view, spectators enjoy a separate exit from that of the vehicles.
Speaking of grandstands, the president of the ACI highlights how these will be affected by a next step of work, because there is still a lot to do at the racetrack. The plant was opened in 1922 and after 102 years the urbanization works should also be reviewed, “perhaps with compatible materials: no reinforced concrete but laminated wood. And then we have the ambition to replace the stands with removable structures, also guaranteeing hospitality with all the services necessary to reduce travel within the park”.
As Sticchi Damiani explained, the offer of better spaces to Formula 1 would allow more favorable margins in the negotiation of the fee to be paid to guarantee the future of the Italian appointment with the top world motorsport series. “Our challenge – clarifies the President – is to keep this fee as low as possible compared to other contracts in Europe, whose figures reach up to 70 million euros. But to win it we need more funding. 77 million arrived from the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport through the Lombardy Region. Another 30 would be needed, without taking into account the high-speed track. With that, I hypothesize at least 45 million extra by 2027: 15 million per year for three years. For the organization of the Grand Prix, ACI has already invested 46 million, a huge sum for us.”
The President concludes the interview with an appeal so that the racetrack can live with an offer of events that extends throughout the year, also using the space for concerts. The Temple of Speed is an Italian historical heritage that must be defended. The first winner of the Grand Prix was the Italian Nino Farina with an Alfa Romeo: it’s a story that cannot be interrupted.”