Italian GP boss determined to avoid 'disastrous' last-minute cancellation

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Italian Grand Prix promoter ACI is treading lightly during F1's current crisis, insisting it can't afford a last-minute "disaster" like the one suffered by the organisers of last month's Australian Grand Prix.

The opening race of the 2020 season which was initially scheduled for March 15 was given the go-ahead only to cancelled at the last hour by F1 after McLaren withdrew from the event when one of its team members tested positive for the coronavirus.

Confusion ensued, with uninformed spectators lining up at the gates of Albert Park on Friday morning ahead of the start of free practice and before the race was called off.

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Italian Automobile Club president Angelo Sticchi Damiani is determined to avoid at all costs a similar fate befalling on Monza come September 4.

"We can no longer afford to make mistakes like in Australia, when the GP was cancelled with the public already at the track,” Sticchi Damiani told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"That was a setback for everyone, from Liberty Media to the teams, to the local organisers. To start again and then be forced to stop would be a disaster."

Monza's round of the F1 world championship will depend on health and sanitary conditions in Europe but especially in Italy whose Lombardy region where the circuit is located has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic since the end of February.

Angelo Sticchi Damiani

Damiani admits the current cloud of uncertainty hovering over F1 leaves race promoters with a murky outlook, but also with a 90-day advance notice demanded by the teams to confirm an event.

"We are going through a situation of great uncertainty and in this moment we must act with caution and attention," he added.

"The priority is to understand what happens in the countries that host the grands prix and in Italy and Great Britain, where most of the people in the paddock come from.”

"The teams have asked for 90 days' notice to start again and if we think about July we would already be late. Maybe there will be a rethink and 60 will be enough."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.