Bernie Ecclestone says the new global partnership between F1 and Heineken could help save the Italian Grand Prix.
Heineken's arrival was formally announced on Thursday in Montreal, in a deal which will also see the company become title sponsor of this year's Italian Grand Prix. With Monza's future uncertain beyond the end of 2016, when asked if Heineken's sponsorship will help save the race Ecclestone replied: "It is probably going to help."
However, Ecclestone still says the Italian Grand Prix is in jeopardy due to a lack of progress in talks with the race organisers.
"They need a bit more help ... It’s Italian, because you know it’s in Italy, and it is very, very, very, very political.
"It is getting all the people that are involved to agree on something. All of them want to save the race.
"We will be at Monza this year for sure. [Beyond that] is up to them. They have a contract. They have got a pen, I believe, now."
When it was put to Ecclestone that the desire of all the parties to save the race is still not enough to secure its future, he replied: "No, definitely."
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