F1: Monza in 'difficult' negotiations with Libery Media

Italian grand prix boss, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, says he is locked in "complicated and difficult" negotiations with Liberty Media over the future of Monza's Formula 1 race.

With the race in doubt beyond Italian grand prix boss, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, says he is locked in "complicated and difficult" negotiations with Liberty Media over the future of Monza's Formula 1 race. 2019 for financial reasons, we reported this week that the Lega political party introduced a bill to parliament pledging €10 million a year in state support to safeguard the "traditional grand prix".

More money needed

But Damiani says Monza needs more. "We have said on several occasions that Monza needs important works and that today the hypothesis is a total amount of about 100 million," he told Agenzia di Stampa Italpress.

Monza's current contract expires this year.

He continued: "Thanks to the Lombardy region, we have managed to find a balance this year, and we must renew for the next few years. There are very tight, complicated and difficult negotiations with Liberty Media who inherited too many expensive and unsustainable contracts."

READ: New Monza Formula 1 deal still a 'far away'

He is referring to a bevy of other F1 circuits who are pushing Liberty to drop their prices, but Damiani says it is Monza that it "perhaps the most important event of the world championship".

Newfound success

Damiani also talked about Charles Leclerc, whose newfound success at Ferrari he says is no surprise to him.

He said: "Leclerc is a phenomenon and we knew it and had the proof of it. What happened in the last grand prix is known - there was a short circuit of a control unit, which can happen and is unfortunately difficult to predict.

"But Leclerc has made us dream and we are convinced that both he and Vettel will win the world championship this year."

Sometimes, it is just not your day. Today it was not ours but I'm so proud of my team. They gave me an amazing car all week-end long and we'll come back stronger, I'm sure ??
??: @motorsportpics1 pic.twitter.com/tlNAq7BHxt

— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) March 31, 2019