Historic track under threat with ‘increasingly difficult’ admission by F1 president

The Imola race could disappear from the schedule with F1 keen to race elsewhere.

Imola could soon drop off the F1 calendar with president Stefano Domenicali conceding it is “increasingly difficult” to have two races in Italy.

Only the United States and Italy have more than one race on the current calendar and with a desire to spread F1’s reach, it is looking increasingly likely that Imola will have to make way.

Imola Grand Prix under threat hints F1 president

Despite having debuted in 1981, the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari has not been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar having dropped off in 2006 only to be reborn in 2020 as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

But with a number of venues across the world desperate to host a race, and willing to pay for the privilege of doing so, F1 has been exploring options to either remove exiting locations or put them in a rotation schedule.

The Belgian Grand Prix was the first venue to be confirmed as a rotational one having been given a new contrail until 2031 but missing in the 2028 and 2030 seasons.

The Dutch Grand Prix was linked with a similar rotation before deciding to leave entirely and the Imola race may now also face a decision with its contract expiring this year.

“Italy has always been and will be an important part of Formula 1,” F1 president Domenicali said to RAI radio.

“It will be increasingly difficult to have two races in the same country because interest in F1 is growing and it’s a situation we will have to deal with in the coming months,” he added.

“It’s hard for this situation with Imola and Monza to continue together on the calendar for long.”

Domenicali was born in the Imola region but even sentimentality is unlikely to save the race given the historic importance of Monza. Having been on the calendar since the first year in 1950, the race outside of Milan is considered the home race of Ferrari and has a contract until 2031.