Autodromo Nazionale Monza will continue to stage Italian Grand Prix – Angelo Sticchi Damiani

Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) president Angelo Sticchi Damiani expects the Italian Grand Prix is unlikely to be staged in Imola rather than Monza from next year.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said last weekend that he would be happy for the race to be moved to Imola if the national authorities agree to the switch, with Monza yet to agree a new contract.

Damiani on Tuesday stated that the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is set to continue to stage the race and is optimistic that a fresh deal will be agreed before long.

He said: “Monza because in the Italian financial law it is written that the grand prix should be Monza, not Imola,

“The involvement of the Automobile Club of Italy, who is involved directly in the running of the grand prix starting next year, is for an Italian Grand Prix running in Monza, not in Imola. This is a new law, a financial law, that was approved at the beginning of the year.”

He added: “Let’s say it is a difficult negotiation. It is the first time in Italy that it takes a burden to organise a Formula One grand prix with significant funds. The fact that ACI is replacing the Automobile Club Milan – which is organising the grand prix this year – is of course a revolution, a quite relevant one.

“Thanks to the support of the Lombardy regional authority, and hopefully also thanks to a national sponsor – although these have to be defined in the details – thanks to these supports, we managed to begin [negotiations] in February.

“In Monte Carlo we found many common points with Ecclestone. There are things that still have to be defined, but I dare say we are very close to an agreement despite some actions which have not helped the negotiations.

“Quite the opposite, it has made it difficult.”