The Emergency Decree, under discussion in the Budget and Environment Committees, proposes making this rule retroactive to oust Sticchi Damiani, currently in his fourth term, despite the limit being three terms.

On February 12, the ACI Assembly will have to call for new presidential elections, with 45 days to submit candidacies. This measure has alarmed both Liberty Media, promoter of F1, and the FIA, the International Federation.

Stefano Domenicali, F1’s President and CEO, wrote a letter to three members of the Meloni Government (Matteo Salvini, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure; Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister of Economy and Finance; and Andrea Abodi, Minister of Sports) seeking assurances about the commitments made by Sticchi Damiani, “…who has always put his face to it.”

The concern is that a management change could delay the work Monza has signed and funded. While awaiting a newly elected president, Sticchi Damiani would only be authorized to handle routine administration. Domenicali’s concerns are valid: “I need guarantees that Monza’s work can be completed on time, respecting the contract clauses,” he told Motorsport.com.

The six-year renewal of Monza was signed on November 27, a month after Sticchi Damiani’s confirmation, highlighting that the Apulian executive guarantees not just financial aspects but also organizational capabilities.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, has also acted, writing directly to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in recent days to emphasize the need to preserve the autonomy of sports from politics.

The global motorsport leadership has taken action, and now they await responses from Italian politics. Legally, Sticchi Damiani, who might challenge his removal, seems to have a good chance of prevailing, but only after a lengthy legal battle. What will happen in the meantime with ACI’s management (especially considering that from this year the entity is burdened by a €50 million levy payable to the Treasury under Article 116 of the 2025 Budget Law) and the two GPs?

Concerns also extend to the WRC: while this year’s Rally Italia Sardegna is not in question, a new agreement for the future will need to be negotiated. Who will finalize the contract? In short, politics must provide swift answers. Opposition parties have proposed an amendment to defend Sticchi Damiani’s position, but they lack the numbers to change the situation. Will the issue end up in Giorgia Meloni’s hands?

Meanwhile, who might succeed Sticchi Damiani? Three vice presidents are being considered: Giuseppina Fusco (AC Roma), Piergiorgio Re (AC Torino), and Ruggero Campi (AC Perugia). Another possible candidate is Geronimo La Russa (AC Milano), who is well-acquainted with the Monza situation.

As a sports federation, the ACI must avoid entering a phase of conflict that could lead to chaos if paralysis occurs. F1 has many countries eager to join the calendar; it would be paradoxical for Italy to be forced out of the circus due to internal disputes. Can a shared solution be found?

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The regulatory framework
The risks for Formula 1 in Italy stem from the latest Emergency Decree awaiting approval, currently under joint review by the Environment and Budget Committees. The bill proposes introducing term limits for public entities that also act as sports federations, including ACI. There is a possibility that the rule could be made retroactive, triggering new elections for the presidency of the Automobile Club and invalidating Angelo Sticchi Damiani’s current fourth term. Adding to this is the 2025 Budget Law, whose Article 116 obliges ACI to pay €50 million annually to the treasury, complicating—but not entirely halting—the modernization of Monza’s Autodrome.

In an interview with the Italian media last September, the ACI president acknowledged the need to modernize the Monza Autodrome as an essential condition for keeping the Grand Prix on the calendar: “An essential element of the contract is the completion of works that have yet to be carried out. To renew the contract, we must ensure these works are completed within certain deadlines.” Recently interviewed by *Autosprint*, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali reiterated this point, emphasizing the pivotal role of ACI President Angelo Sticchi Damiani: “Monza must modernize. I have to say that, in this regard, the ACI president has really stepped up.”

The scenarios
Stefano Domenicali’s main concern is the potential internal elections at ACI, which could disrupt the well-established collaboration with the current president—a concern he has not hesitated to express. According to information from *FormulaPassion*, the necessary conditions for maintaining not only the Formula 1 Grands Prix at Monza and Imola but also the WRC in Sardinia are at risk. This marks a sudden shift after the six-year extension of the Italian GP celebrated in 2024.

Notably, the renewal of the Monza GP until 2031, signed on November 27, came just a month after Sticchi Damiani’s reelection on October 16, 2024. The current ACI president is a central figure in the relationship with Formula 1, with Monza and Imola’s future depending not just on financial considerations but also on experience and specific organizational skills. “Certainly, if Monza doesn’t meet its commitments, a strong candidate with Imola is already prepared,” Domenicali warned in *Autosprint*.

In reality, both Italian Grands Prix are at risk. Stefano Domenicali’s comments confirm the possibility of canceling the existing contract. Despite the renewal signed in November, the agreement includes a termination clause at Formula 1’s sole discretion if certain conditions are not met. Just as there was relief over the extension until 2031, the Italian GP is once again under threat, along with Imola’s position and Sardinia’s place in the WRC.

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Anyone who attended the Monza or Imola GPs in 2024 likely noticed a significant absence: the Frecce Tricolori. At both events, their historic presence was notably missing. However, in 2025, a major development will bring smiles to Monza but not to Imola.

The Frecce Tricolori, also known as the “Pride of Italy,” are one of the country’s most iconic symbols. Their breathtaking aerial displays have become a traditional highlight of various sporting events, including F1. Their presence at Monza, the historic home of the Italian Grand Prix, reflects a deep connection between the love of racing and national pride.

Frecce Tricolori: present in Monza but not in Imola
Every year, during the Monza GP, the Frecce Tricolori celebrate Italian pride by painting the sky above the circuit with their tricolor trails. This display contributes to making the Monza Grand Prix a unique experience, blending the roar of engines with the thrill of watching these planes perform stunning aerial maneuvers.

However, there is a downside to the news. The Frecce Tricolori will not be present at the Imola Grand Prix, despite initial plans to include them. This decision may stem from logistical reasons. Although Imola, along with the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit, holds historical significance for F1 and boasts a strong following among Italian fans, the Frecce Tricolori’s appearance will this year be exclusive to Monza.

For Monza, the return of the Frecce Tricolori is highly anticipated. The 2025 Formula One season will mark the return of one of the most awaited moments of the year. Monza, more than any other circuit, embodies the passion for Formula 1 in Italy, and the return of the Frecce Tricolori is sure to delight Italian fans.

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The Damage and the Intervention
The 2023 storms caused hundreds of trees, already weakened by fungal diseases, to fall, significantly altering the circuit’s landscape. The shadows and natural landmarks that had guided drivers and spectators for years vanished, leaving a tangible void. However, the allocated funds mark a first step toward reforestation and park maintenance, as part of an agreement between Regione Lombardia, the municipalities of Monza and Milan, and other involved entities. The program aims to enhance and redevelop the monumental complex of Villa Reale and Monza Park, with interventions planned through 2028.

The Importance of Monza Park
Monza Park is not just a green space; it is the largest enclosed park in Europe, a symbol of history and culture that, during Formula 1 races, becomes an international icon of Lombardy. Alessandro Beduschi, Regional Councillor for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forests, emphasized that regenerating the forest is a concrete response to the damage caused by climate change, a forward-looking signal, and a commitment to the environment and quality of life. The project includes not only reforestation but also the creation of accessible areas for citizens, such as benches made from the trunks of fallen trees.

A Commitment to the Future
Restoring the forest is part of a broader redevelopment plan that looks to the future. The goal is to return an intact park to the community and future generations, capable of continuing to be a benchmark for natural beauty, sustainability, and historical value. The project is not just a response to the damage suffered but a strategic investment to preserve one of Italy’s most iconic locations.

Thanks to these interventions, the Autodromo and Monza Park will once again be a unique place where nature, sport, and history merge, reaffirming their central role in Italy’s cultural and environmental landscape.

This series of investments by Regione Lombardia, ACI, and the government aims to radically improve Monza’s image. The circuit recently secured a renewal until 2031, a crucial achievement after months of negotiations.

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Monza is already looking ahead to 2025, boosted by Charles Leclerc’s victory with Ferrari, which is expected to have a significant impact on attendance. With two races scheduled in Italy, ticket sales to see Ferrari up close begin today. Monza and Imola are preparing for 2025, with tickets now available and updated prices for the upcoming season.

The next season will also see the return of an Italian driver in Formula 1. Kimi Antonelli will take the wheel of the Mercedes W16 alongside George Russell, filling the seat vacated by Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion will drive the Ferrari 677, the 2025 car aimed at winning the constructors’ and drivers’ championships.

These events are expected to draw many fans to both Imola and Monza. The Temple of Speed is preparing for renovations to secure its spot on the Formula 1 calendar. After resurfacing the track, ACI will proceed with the second phase of upgrades, which includes improvements to much of the infrastructure.

To purchase tickets for the 2025 Italian GP at Monza, visit this link.

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Formula 1 announced today that the Italian Grand Prix will stay on the calendar through 2031 as part of a six-year extension of the existing agreement, which was valid until 2025. This is significant news for motorsport in Italy, ensuring that F1 cars will race at Monza for years to come.

Built in 1922, Monza – also known as the Temple of Speed – has hosted a Grand Prix every year since the inauguration of the World Championship in 1950, except for 1980, when the circuit was closed for renovation. Located northeast of the historic city of Milan, one of the world’s cultural and fashion capitals, the 5.8 km circuit boasts one of the fastest laps on the Formula 1 calendar, with drivers on full throttle for 80% of the lap. In 2020, Monza was the scene of the fastest lap in F1 history in terms of average speed, when Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position for the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with a qualifying time of just 1:18.887 and an average speed of 264.362 km/h.

Formula 1 continues to experience strong growth in Italy, both in terms of broadcasts, which garnered a cumulative audience of 183.3 million in 2023, and online, where social media followers grew by 16% last season.

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1

“I am delighted that the Italian Grand Prix will remain on the calendar until 2031. Monza is at the heart of Formula 1’s history, and the atmosphere there every year is unique, with fans gathering in large numbers to cheer for Ferrari and the drivers. Recent improvements to the circuit’s infrastructure and planned investments demonstrate a strong commitment to the long-term future of Formula 1 in Italy, and I want to thank the President of the Automobile Club d’Italia, the Italian government, and the Lombardy region for their continued passion and dedication to our sport. I also want to pay tribute to our incredible fans across the country who support Formula 1 with such enthusiasm.”

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Key projects included the construction of a new underpass to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic, as well as resurfacing the track. These upgrades were completed ahead of the 2024 Italian GP and received positive feedback from the World Championship organizers. Monza is thus expected to secure its place on the calendar for the coming years, avoiding the previously announced rotation of European races, which could instead affect the Imola circuit.

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Each sport discipline has its unique shrines. Every team has its favorite monuments. The fans know how to recognize them, to cherish and celebrate each passionately. If you ask any football fan, he will talk for hours about his favorite stadium, so why would there be a difference in racing? For a team as big as Ferrari (and none of the competitions are even close when it comes to history and tradition), it is perfectly natural to consider Monza as their second home. It is a site of the Italian Grand Prix and a place of some of the Scuderia’s most notable successes. This venue is extremely important to the team, and we wanted to tell its story.

The Italian Grand Prix, the Unforgettable and Exciting Monza

Located near Milan, Lombardia, it was built in 1921 and in that way became the fifth oldest Grand Prix, after the French GP, the United States GP, the Spanish GP, and the Russian GP. Its 53 laps offer 306.720 km of pure fun and excitement, earning the nickname “The Temple of Speed”. Fast and dangerous, it was held on 94 occasions throughout Formula One history. Racing enthusiasts can’t resist picking it as an offer on renowned sports books, like wetten.com/us/ and similar ones. The track was built to be 5.793 kilometers long, with straight lines and challenging corners. This design challenges both drivers and cars and pushes them to their limits.

Champions are always looking forward to it, as it is a guarantee of a spectacle. The current champion, Max Verstappen, has mentioned it on numerous occasions, stating that he can’t wait for Monza and that he simply loves to be there. Some drivers who are lucky enough to have a Grand Prix in their hometown often can’t decide between their home venue and Monza. Besides drivers, it has an appeal to engineers as well. It allows them to test their creations on a circuit famous for frequent record-breaking laps.

The speed that is achieved on Monza has its dangers. Throughout its history, Monza was the site of the death of 52 drivers and 35 audience members. Grim statistics, no doubt, but always a highly anticipated event. Victory in Monza is not reserved for the best driver in the season, and it often provides a surprising outcome. The future brings us innovations, but with over a century of car-developing technology constantly evolving, it seems Monza stands as a true testing ground for each of them.

Grand Prix Monza and Ferrari’s History

Scuderia fans are overjoyed that the current year’s winner is their own Charles Leclerc! The driver pulled off an amazing achievement and wrote his name in history books. When we go through them, we can see a lot of Ferrari’s red in them. Most wins at Monza GP have been achieved by Michael Schumacher, Ferrari’s greatest driver, and Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s future number one. Most wins on the track for constructors is a record yet again held by Ferrari (21 in total). The fastest lap record which stands at 1:18.887 was driven in 2020 by Hamilton, the future Scuderia racer.

Conclusion

There is a lot of trivia surrounding the Italian Grand Prix Monza and with a history as long and exciting as this track possesses, it is no wonder. When the calendar closes into this race, there is always a demand for an extra ticket, as this site tends to provide a spectacle. Rare are the cases in which there is a consensus between Formula One fans, drivers, and constructors about a topic, but Monza is a unique place even because of that. Among many teams, Ferrari holds this venue very close to its heart, and as we explained, there are numerous reasons for that.

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It seemed impossible to recreate the same emotions of the 2019 edition, but the feat achieved by Charles Leclerc at Monza this year is something destined to go down in Ferrari and Formula 1 history.

An unexpected victory, the result of a strategy considered crazy by many until mid-race, but which ultimately allowed the Monegasque driver to triumph in an incredible way in front of the sea of red fans for the second time in his career.

While it’s true that the first time is always special, the second, in this case, is and will be unforgettable. After qualifying in fourth place and with McLaren’s clear dominance, no one could have predicted such an outcome in the race. But sometimes the stars align in completely unexpected ways. It’s undeniable that the Maranello team was certainly helped by the sparks between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with the latter making a bold move to overtake his teammate at the Roggia, taking the lead and allowing Leclerc to pass the Brit just before Lesmo 1.

Nevertheless, the number 16 driver, spurred on by the many Italian fans present at the circuit that Sunday, pulled off something magical, keeping the whole track on edge until the last lap and making it erupt with joy once he crossed the finish line.

A month after the extraordinary triumph, Charles Leclerc, who had already delivered a stellar performance in Monaco this past May, decided to release a vlog on his YouTube channel, narrating the 2024 Monza GP from his own perspective.

— see video above —

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Ferrari triumphed at the Monza circuit in a race that will undoubtedly go down in Formula 1 history. The Maranello team was not considered a favorite for the Italian Grand Prix, even considering a good qualifying session where, however, the Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were unable to fully exploit the potential of the red car. The setup did not provide the right handling for the fast lap, with annoying understeer between the second and third sectors, and excess rotation coming out of turn 1 which compromised traction. However, despite doubts about race pace during the second free practice session, the SF-24 single-seater with a high fuel load surprised everyone, especially insiders.

Ferrari was aware of its possibilities. The simulator studies, thanks to the driver-in-the-loop software, allowed the Maranello technicians to focus on a one-stop strategy, in which other teams did not believe. No rival team attempted to stop just once, believing it impossible to manage the graining generated by the white-banded Pirelli tires. This phenomenon also appeared on the SF-24 cars, but they were able to manage it effectively, allowing it to “clean up” gradually. The work done was exceptional, as demonstrated by the race pace maintained by the two Maranello single-seaters.

All of this was possible thanks to a particular handling plan, carefully designed. Ferrari engineers ordered a series of parameters to optimize tire performance. We are referring to the numerous settings of the braking system, the power unit mappings that improved traction, and the special mapping on mid-corner rotation through the differential. Added to these elements was the extraordinary top speed displayed by the Italian cars, thanks to a lower downforce setup compared to the optimal level for Monza. This aspect allowed them to dominate on the straights.

By analyzing the official Formula 1 GPS data, we can summarize the pace that the two Ferrari cars were able to maintain during the race. Looking at the telemetry data, the consistency of the red car with both compounds is evident. The white dots represent the Hard tires, while the yellow ones indicate the Mediums. The more these dots are arranged horizontally, the greater the performance consistency. This aspect, analyzing the data from the two SF-24 cars, is predominant.

Winning at the Monza circuit, the home Grand Prix, is always a result of immense value for Ferrari. It is an indescribable emotion that must be experienced to be fully understood. These are the words of John Elkann on Ferrari’s achievement. The New York entrepreneur and president of the Prancing Horse dedicates this unexpected triumph to the wave of fans who flocked to the track during the 16th round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. The supporters literally pushed Charles Leclerc in the final phase of the race until he crossed the finish line. This was conveyed by the nephew of the unforgettable Gianni Agnelli.

John Elkann gives great praise to the entire group, recognizing the tireless and flawless work on every front to achieve such an important milestone. Regarding the Ferrari in Monza form, only good things can be said, and with a broad view of the weekend, an important fact is highlighted: the aggressive, confident, and never-giving-up attitude of the historic Formula 1 team allowed every single element to fully express its potential. This can be defined as a true team victory, showcasing the Maranello team’s maximum potential.

However, basking in victory is never a good thing. Admonishing the team is certainly not the point of the sentence just written. Nevertheless, after the happiness-induced hangover from the triumph, there are without a doubt a couple of issues to reflect on. The first concerns the tires. The splendid performance with the tires must not remain an isolated incident. Ferrari must study its performance in depth in order to be able to replicate it consistently, not only when, for various reasons, the context is favorable and allows it. Optimizing tire usage in this modern Formula 1 is crucial. Doing so brings benefits.

The other important issue concerns the Ferrari’s floor, the new one, to be clear, the latest version. This major component has been revised in all its parts and analyzed by our editorial team through a dedicated piece. As we know, it is not the first version of the SF-24 floor that the Maranello team has produced in the 2024 Formula 1 season. The one introduced at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, for example, miserably failed its task. The results on the track of this incorrect specification were evident. On the contrary, the “Monza specification” did not cause any problems, delivering results on this type of circuit, according to the team.

Nevertheless, the Italian track was not the right competitive context to fully judge the component in question. Do doubts remain? Oh yes… Even Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur seems to have them, as the Frenchman candidly admitted that with such an extreme aerodynamic configuration as the one used for the Italian track, it was not possible to understand whether the floor expressed the expected load and stability values accurately. The race pace was more linked to tire management, according to the ever-cheerful Fred Vasseur. The French manager is not trying to downplay it, but he is trying to be as realistic as possible.

And he is doing very well, we might add, given the recent past. Carlos Sainz also shares this opinion and admits it in front of the media microphones. So, the Baku City Circuit and especially the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore are eagerly awaited, where the confirmations will undoubtedly be more significant. The data collected at the Fiorano circuit during the recent Pirelli testing session seems encouraging, but on a wet track surface and with the 2025 F1 compounds, full reliance cannot be made. Ferrari is awaiting the return to the track with controlled anticipation, to understand if the work done by the group can be considered a solid foundation on which to build the rest of the 2024 Formula 1 championship.

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