What's going on with Monza?

After years of push and pull, of threats and denials, there have been reports that 2016 will be the end of the road for Formula one at Monza.

Formula One Management and Italian organizers have been at odds for a while now.  It's  the usual story, Bernie wants money more in line with what some of the newer venues are paying, organizers say they don't have that kind of cash.

In a recent interview, Angelo Sticchi Damiani president of the Automobile Club Italiano, declared "It has all been in vain, there are no more margins on which to deal" and that if Monza is lost then Italy would accept to have its Grand Prix at Imola.

On the surface, it would be easy to dump on Bernie and his demand for €19M per year for the race, but there is more than meets the eye at play.  

A proposal saw the ACI (automobile club Italia) kick in €12.5M with the remaining €6.5M coming from the Monza track management.   Unfortunately the current managers of the Monza Circuit have not been stellar, they have been running a deficit and are essentially broke despite it's employees salaries ballooning in recent years.  Their scheme to modify the circuit in order to accommodate Superbikes has not gone over very well.

Sticchi Damiani's declarations were designed to put Monza's managers on notice,  they can either come up with the funds and provide services F1 is demanding or the ACI will pick up the tab (well, Italian taxpayers would....)   but insist on new management for the historic track.

Will Monza be history soon? It could be but it might not be all Bernie's fault this time.

Stay tuned.