PARIS – Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali warned yesterday that “history is not enough” and that mere nostalgia cannot guarantee the survival of grand prix landmarks.
Doubts over the long-term futures of iconic races such as Spa in Belgium and Monza in Italy have lingered this season.
At the same time, new, money-spinning stops on the calendar have arrived in Saudi Arabia and Miami.
Next year, Las Vegas welcomes motor-racing’s showcase series.
“There were periods when Belgium was not on the calendar. It came back. We sometimes have short memories,” said Domenicali.
“It’s a great place, no doubt, and that’s why we are talking.
“At Monza, there will be the celebration this year of the 100th anniversary of the Italian Grand Prix.
“But as an Italian, I always tell them: you have to realise that history is not enough. Monza has to do its part, they have to renovate the circuit, update an emblematic place.
“Their presence cannot be taken for granted.”
Next season could see a 23 or even 24 race campaign. The final figure may depend on whether or not China reappears on the schedule.
The Shanghai round of the championship last featured in 2019 before the pandemic struck.
“The political line of sport is always very fragile. We must always be careful. We want to promote positive values,” said the F1 boss.
“Right now, I think the situation in China needs to be followed for many reasons. We have the Covid-19 situation, which is unclear. All the major sports leagues are waiting to figure out what's going on.
“We believe we’ll have a clearer direction on the future scenario for China by the end of this year.”
One place still on F1’s radar is the untapped resource of the African continent.
South Africa staged its last race in 1993.
“We want to have a race in Africa. Today, the most likely place for that is South Africa,” said Domenicali.
“What we are looking for is a very solid, clear and long-term commitment. It takes time. We will clarify this situation in the next few days.
“We want to make the commitment to be in Africa, but we want to make it correctly.” – AFP, August 25, 2022
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