Formula 1 will race in Monza until 2031

"I have to tell the truth: I can't wait to see the record-breaking crowd at Monza that will surely be there next year. I can write it now." This is how Stefano Domenicali begins his intervention on Tutti convocati on Radio 24, called to comment on the awaited renewal that will allow the Italian Grand Prix to race at the historic Monza Circuit until 2031. The President and CEO of Formula 1 expressed his satisfaction with the agreement that will allow the single-seaters to race at one of the most recognizable circuits in the entire world, and that gathers an immense crowd of spectators and fans at every edition.

In the end, the ACI - the Automobile Club of Italy, the organization that manages and oversees the event - and the Formula One Group, organizer of the Formula 1 World Championship, have found a way to extend the contract that binds the Autodromo and the World Championship for another 6 years, satisfying all parties involved. Monza is a circuit rich in history, known as the "Temple of Speed" and now synonymous with Ferrari. It is also the oldest currently in the world championship, having hosted the Italian Grand Prix from 1950 until today, skipping only the 1980 race due to renovation works.

The renovations of Monza Autodrome

The renovation works at Monza were not easy to come to an agreement on, as renewals are usually signed two seasons in advance in order to plan the calendars for the following seasons in more detail. In this case, the contract would have expired in 2025, and the failure of these negotiations would have also meant wasting the 21 million euros allocated for the modernization works on the structure, which began in January of this year. The 5,793 meters of the circuit and the pit lane have been completely resurfaced, also reconstructing the subfloor and laying a new wear mat to further improve the performance of the racecars.

The pavement has therefore been adapted to current national and international regulations, improving the flexibility and drainage of the surface, and readapting and replacing all the curbs on the track. In addition, the internal logistics of the circuit has been redesigned to improve the movements of the many spectators inside and outside the structure, through a new traffic system and underpasses.

Number of Grand Prix spectators

The President of the Automobile Club of Italy, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, commented, "We are all aware that history is no longer enough. For this reason, after the renovation of the track and underpasses, to ensure greater safety on the track and for the public, we have a new challenge ahead of us for 2025: to improve the quality and quantity of hospitality offerings. With this goal in mind, we are already working to stay at the forefront of the standards required by modern Formula 1". In recent seasons, Formula 1 has definitely changed gears and - despite the dominance of Max Verstappen and Red Bull - is ready to enter a new era thanks to the generation of drivers all born in the 2000s.

The F1 itself has confirmed that it "continues to see strong growth in Italy,"with a cumulative audience of 183.3 million in 2023 and a 16% increase in social media followers last season. This year's Grand Prix, which saw Charles Leclerc triumph in a sea of red, was attended by 355,000 spectators in the stands of the "Temple of Speed," while the live TV broadcast had a total of 3,766,000 average viewers between Sky and TV8, with a total TV share of 31.7%. Now we just have to wait for the renewal for the other Italian circuit on the Formula 1 World Championship territory, Imola.