Monza set for 100M euro makeover ahead of century mark

Monza, Italy's temple of speed, wants to mark its 100 years of existence in 2022 with a series of major changes to its historic layout.

The legendary venue and home of the Italian Grand Prix is looking to secure a new deal with Liberty Media beyond its current contract with F1 that runs out at the end of 2019.

However, to carry it forward, ACI president Angelo Sticchi Damiani has unveiled a planned 100M euro upgrade of the circuit and its configuration intended to put the speed back in the temple.

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"We will find the money somehow," Sticchi Damiani told La Gazzetto dello Sport. "This is a work that we can already do in 2019."

The makeover would include removing one of Monza's chicanes and restoring the original radius of the second Lesmo curve, a sector modified after the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994.

Another change would involve the widening of the track itself to the standard 12 meters to bring the venue in line with FIA homologation rules.

But perhaps the most significant change which is contemplated is the restoration of the old banking, an anachronism and fixture that would lengthen Monza's potential configuration to 10 kilometers, although there are no plans to integrate the legendary banking into the track's F1 layout.

"We want to recover the ring in order to expand what we can offer," said Damiani. "The road and the ring are a 10 km track, how many others can boast something similar? We can also think of a temporary structure that can be installed before the GP."

Finally, various infrastructure work destined to improve the comfort of fans and spectators is also envisaged.

Needless to say, the renovations will only be undertaken if Monza seals a deal with Liberty and secures its spot for the longer term on the F1 calendar.

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