The Ferrari team has said that they do not believe there is room on the current F1 schedule for a second race in Italy, striking a blow for the ongoing efforts to establish a Rome street race on the schedule in the future.
Rome has been linked with hosting a Formula One race for some time, with some reports suggesting that a deal with Bernie Ecclestone could be in place for the 2013 season.
The initial plans for the race were met with anger from Monza authorities, but the historic venue has recently signed a new deal keeping them on the calendar until at least 2016.
And with the F1 schedule set to get even more bloated in future, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has said that he cannot see a way for Rome to be granted a race.
"Our position is very clear and leaves no room for interpretation," Domenicali bellowed the official Ferrari website on Thursday.
"Our sport is increasingly expanding the number of countries hosting a grand prix and all the teams are in agreement about that.
"Therefore it is inevitable that it will no longer be possible to have two races in the same nation. It's not the job of the teams who choose where a grand prix is held, that's up to the commercial rights holder. Everything else is pure speculation."
The Rome race could reportedly join the calendar as a one-off race in the near future. But with 20 events already on the schedule for 2011, with the Indian Grand Prix making it's debut, it is difficult to see where the race might fit in.
Ecclestone has recently signed deals for a new United States GP from 2012, and a race in Russia from 2014, but has also suggested that he would like to see the F1 calendar capped at 20 races.
Domenicali's comments are not the first time a Ferrari representative has dismissed the Rome plan.
In an interview with the Italian media in September, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said: "Without Monza, it's not F1...And a move to Rome is not going to happen."
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
