No Monza race in 2020 is 'fake news'

Angelo Sticchi Damiani pans the fake news reports

(GMM) Italian GP official Angelo Sticchi Damiani has slammed as "fake news" reports that Monza will not be on F1's new 2020 race calendar.

Bild newspaper has published what it purports to be the schedule drawn up to cope with the corona crisis, but it leaves off Monza as well as Zandvoort and Spa-Francorchamps.

But Damiani, president of the Italian automobile federation, told Italy's Sky Sport 24: "We are convinced that our grand prix will be there, although almost certainly behind closed doors.

"We don't understand why fake news about the cancellation came out," he added.

"We do not know what will happen in early September, but we hope that this emergency will be over. We are hoping for a miracle but in the meantime we are preparing for a grand prix behind closed doors."

Damiani also told the Ansa news agency that negotiations about the financing of the 'ghost race' will first need to take place with Liberty Media.

"Obviously it will be a sacrifice for us. Obviously we have no interest in organizing a grand prix without an audience for many, many reasons," he said.

"So we are looking for a squaring of the circle given that the missing audience is a component of the total revenue. And that is the problem."

Damiani also ruled out the possibility that Monza could accommodate a race in reverse direction around the fabled high speed circuit.

"No, the circuits have a direction of travel, with all of the barriers, curbs and the structure of the race track designed for that," he said.