Good news, I suppose: Italian Grand Prix set to remain at Monza for next three years ? MotorSportsTalk
IT's not 5+ years like most GP's but that's how Bernie rolls with tracks that aren't paying as much. I missed the news in May but they are also getting rid of the chicane for next year. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hope they'll just keep the old (current) layout as well. What if the racing is ****. Whoops. They've got it (mostly laser scanned) on Assetto Corsa now, the full 1966 with banking. It's hateful. Would have to repave the entire banking, ensure that it's very smooth, and install some sort of anti-terrifying-leap-through-the-air safety net of some sort when there's an accident (the latter actually sounds quite entertaining).
The Monza deal is now on hold because Imola are Taking legal action about the funding for the Grand Prix that has been offered to Monza (From: Imola taking legal action over Italian GP - Italian Grand Prix 2016 - Formula 1 - Eurosport Australia ): Imola is taking legal action regarding government backing of the deal to keep Formula 1's Italian Grand Prix at Monza, according to Ivan Capelli. On Friday, Monza announced it had secured a new three-year deal to host the race through to 2019, but the contract has not yet been signed. In a fresh twist to the long-running saga, it has emerged this is because Imola has taken legal action. The venue feels it is not legitimate that Automobile club d'Italia has awarded government backing to Monza and not Imola to help fund an Italian GP beyond this season. Capelli, a director of the Monza organising committee, told Autosport the court will meet on October 26 to assess the case. "The appeal court in Rome is going to judge if the steps the Automobile Club did until now, in telling the Autodromo of Monza that is the only title to receive the government money, is legal," he said. "Imola put an application saying it's not legal. "Last year the [Italian Prime Minister] Matteo Renzi was [at Monza] and then we had an amendment in the law saying that the Automobile Club of Italy could use the tax that we pay, to use that money to pay the Bernie [Ecclestone] fee through the Automobile Club of Italy. "And Imola says, 'no, if the Automobile Club is giving the money to Monza, it's unfair, because we are the same level, we are an automobile club as well, and we want the same money that they're giving to Monza'." Ecclestone told Autosport that the Italian GP deal would be signed "hopefully in a couple of weeks" but added "we have to wait." When asked what the reason was for the delay, he said: "The people in Imola are starting an action against these people using public money." Ecclestone added that the race is "secure as far as I'm concerned" but said "whether something happens with the law, I don't know". I wonder how Imola will feel if Bernie gets fed up with it all and decides to drop the Italian Grand Prix altogether from the F1 calender?
If there is money to be had, then Bernie is more then happy to continue to holding out his hand for it.
Taking out he chicane? Good Lord! Could they make that track any less exciting? They've taken away every ounce of character that it used to have. Honestly, I don't get the draw anymore. I think Imola is a better track these days.
And if he can find someone else prepared to pay more than Monza or Imola, who'll give him less aggro at the same time, then he'll drop the Italian GP without batting an eyelid!
They're not getting rid of it; they're moving it to the Curva Grande. Take a look at the photo above. The problem with that is that they are also removing the best overtaking spot on the circuit.
In past years there were the European Grand Prixs, with Germany having two races. Bring back the Euro GP, with both Imola and Monza on the calendar.
The problem there is - Italy cannot afford two races. Based on the aggravation they've been having trying to sort out the Monza deal, it seems they can barely afford to run a single race! I genuinely think that if Imola win their battle to stop Monza having the money to run the race, then we may just have watched our last Italian Grand Prix!
Well they're not really moving it to the Curva Grande are they? - They're basically bypassing the Curva Grande!
After all the revenue Ferrari (Italy) has brought the FIA and Bernie for the last 66 years, they should fund the extra race themselves.
The new layout is much better. The Curva Grande is lame. Flat out and turn slightly right, I could do that. It's no Eau Rouge, that's for damn sure. This new layout makes the straight much longer which will allow for higher speeds more passing. I've always felt the first chicane ruined the flow of the track
What?!? Curva Grande is lame?!? Have you ever been there in person? Having watched the grand prix from exact the curva grande fence I can assure you that it's the most challenging and speed-wise the most impressive turn of the entire circuit! It's considerably angled, cars come at full acceleration, and you can feel the difference on each driver's throttle: the bravest do it almost full throttle, the not so bravest clearly lift it off. Perhaps it's not very well explored by the TV cameras but at the circuit it's by far the best one to realize how f$%&ing fast a formula 1 car is!
Curva grande is easily flat out in F1 cars these days. I find it relatively easy, to be honest...Just don't mess up the entrance. Get the entrance right and it's very straight forward. Parabolica used to be very difficult, mostly because your entire lap depends on it. Ruin it and your current lap is ****ed, and your next one too...You have to get it exactly right to retain speed. These days...Lesmo 2 can be challenging, when you run wide (onto the astro turf) you can't correct it as you would normally, as you'll end up in the barrier. Lift off? Barrier. Keep your foot in is your only solution. With Parabolica the entire track was neutered, imo. That corner is desperate for a 2 meter wide gravel trap (hell...50cm would do it!). Same goes for exit of ascari. Too easy to just go wide there.
None of that will matter any more if Imola manage to stop Monza getting the money, because if that happens then that's the end of Monza on the F1 calender. Imola may be hoping to get Monza dropped as the F1 venue of choice for the Italian Grand Prix completely in the hope of becoming taking that mantle themselves, or more likely, they may be hoping to come to an arrangement where the Grand Prix alternates between Imola and Monza every other year. The problem is, sharing the Grand Prix with Imola may not be a viable proposition for Monza when it comes to the financial side of things. As I've previously posted, the action that Imola are now taking carries a high risk of the Italian Grand Prix being taken off the calender forever and a day, and if that should happen, how clever will Imola look then?
I can assure you with 100% confidence that last year the cars were not doing it flat-out. This year I missed the GP so can't comment.