Possible Rome GP in 2012?

[mario]

It is a proposal which has been floating around for quite a while, mainly at the instigation of Bernie, but it has been formally announced that there will be an attempt to organise a street race in Rome for 2012, depending on the approval of the local authorities.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80634

Although the location would be fantastic, what is this going to mean for Monza? There have been some very bitter words exchanged today about the proposal - take, for example, this response:

"This is the latest act of arrogance from a parasite capital city that has lived for the last 2000 years with the oxygen stolen from the other towns," Monza mayor Marco Mariani told Gazzetta.

Or how about this one:

"Monza provincial president Dario Allevi added: "This wouldn't be the first time Flammini lies for propagandistic reasons."

However, how many people are looking at the proposal, and thinking the same thing as I am - not another street circuit (I know it'll inevitably go to Tilke, but to be fair to him, whatever design he comes up with will inevitably be governed by where the authorities choose to put the track. After all, I've seen the rival bid for the Singapore GP on a competitor's website, and that was almost the same as the current layout that Tilke went for).

[shinji]

I think we have a design - unless it's just a speculative one.

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/12/20/rome-has-f1-race-deal-gazzetta/

[WeirdKerr]

i think they should use the track from gran turismo2 (if it used real streets)

[eagleash]

I think we have a design - unless it's just a speculative one.

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/12/20/rome-has-f1-race-deal-gazzetta/

Surely that long sweeping curve on to the main straight will never happen, do like the look of that bit though.

The rest of it although decidedly of the "how much track in a field" variety is better than some.

It is all speculative though till the lights go out.

[Captain Hammer]

i think they should use the track from gran turismo2 (if it used real streets)

It won't work - some of those streets are cobbled, and inappropriate for racing. There's no way you'd get them re-paved, either, since they'd be hundred of years old at the least.

[Stramala]

i think they should use the track from gran turismo2 (if it used real streets)

It won't work - some of those streets are cobbled, and inappropriate for racing. There's no way you'd get them re-paved, either, since they'd be hundred of years old at the least.

Not the one he was talking about. It was all smooth tarmac. However the pitlane exit is on the apex of Turn 1 which could cause some problems
I suppose it wouldn't be so bad, Turn 5 would make a good overtaking spot.

[eytl]

Gee, are we being serious that a Rome street race will replace Monza as the Italian GP?

Second race in Italy, I hope. I'm presuming that the Rome lobbyists have listened to the F1 Rejects podcast and are in fact pushing for the Vatican City GP.

[Henrique]

But... Monza can't leave F1.

[Cynon]

But... Monza can't leave F1.

The residents in the area don't like F1 at Monza, apparently.

I'm hoping we can have a Vatican City GP with Pope Benedict starting on the pole in the Popemobile-Mercedes.

[Jordan]

But... Monza can't leave F1.

The residents in the area don't like F1 at Monza, apparently.

I'm hoping we can have a Vatican City GP with Pope Benedict starting on the pole in the Popemobile-Mercedes.

Nutella StefanPopeMobile F1

[Captain Hammer]

Reading Joe's Award blog, it seems the EUR district has quite the racing history to it. Before it was reconstructed as a showcase of Italian fascism by Benito Mussolini, EUR was known as Tre Fontane, and in the mid-1920s - the Silver Age of pre-war Grand Prix racing - Tre Fontane was one of the first Italian venues outside Monza to regularly host a race. There's no way of telling whether the proposed circuit is anywhere near the relics of the roaring twenties geographically, but who says we're getting races in locations devoid of racing history? Tre Fontane existed before the likes of the Nurburgring and AVUS ...

[Phoenix]

It could replace Valencia as the venue of the European GP

[Henrique]

I'm hoping we can have a Vatican City GP with Pope Benedict starting on the pole in the Popemobile-Mercedes.

More like the warming lap being led by the Popemobile, with the Pope waving at the crowd

[Jordan192]

The Gran Turismo Rome Circuit

[WeirdKerr]

The Gran Turismo Rome Circuit

yeah that looks like it... and it does round by the collesium(sp) a link with the great chariot races of the past...(think ben hur!)

[shinji]

But... Monza can't leave F1.

The residents in the area don't like F1 at Monza, apparently.

You'd think these people living near Spa and Monza would know what they're getting themselves in to by living beside a place that's hosted car races since the 1920s.

And surely there's a denser population in Rome, and there'd be more people to disturb. Counter-productive, if people not liking living near F1 is the reason for Monza being lost.

[RejectSteve]

From the story I read at pitpass, the Rome officials do NOT want F1 to leave Monza. Italian GP at Monza, Vatican GP at Rome would solve the issue but I feel that the "Italian" title would be bestowed upon the capital of said country.

[rffp]

I am quite old and the first time I heard about a Rome GP was in 1984! This seems like one of these legends that went around in F-1 like the Ford V12 engine back in the 1990s.
Anyway, I think this would an interesting site for the GP:

[shinji]

I am quite old and the first time I heard about a Rome GP was in 1984! This seems like one of these legends that went around in F-1 like the Ford V12 engine back in the 1990s.
Anyway, I think this would an interesting site for the GP:

Bit repetitive though. Certainly if you want tradition, then go for it. But the threat of death for loss may deter some of the drivers.

On the naming of the race - I doubt the Vatican would take too kindly to having a loud, brash, expensive, shrine to commercialism named after them.

[Jack O Malley]

i think they should use the track from gran turismo2 (if it used real streets)

It won't work - some of those streets are cobbled, and inappropriate for racing. There's no way you'd get them re-paved, either, since they'd be hundred of years old at the least.

Not the one he was talking about. It was all smooth tarmac.

In the game, while in the real life it's cobbled from turn 1 to turn 5. Cyclist Denis Menchov slipped in turn 2 at this year's Giro D'Italia finale!

[Phoenix]

I am quite old and the first time I heard about a Rome GP was in 1984! This seems like one of these legends that went around in F-1 like the Ford V12 engine back in the 1990s.
Anyway, I think this would an interesting site for the GP:

but they won't kill them if they lose. That was only in amphiteaters, when there were slave fights. However team bosses can still fire them
Some drivers would make interesting..."spectacles" in the turns

[shinji]

but they won't kill them if they lose. That was only in amphiteaters, when there were slave fights. However team bosses can still fire them
Some drivers would make interesting..."spectacles" in the turns

I think the chariot drivers were slaves too, unless I'm mistaken.

[Phoenix]

but they won't kill them if they lose. That was only in amphiteaters, when there were slave fights. However team bosses can still fire them
Some drivers would make interesting..."spectacles" in the turns

I think the chariot drivers were slaves too, unless I'm mistaken.

Yes, but I can't recall to read somewhere they were killed if they lost. And it was rather pointless to say the slaves in amphiteater fights got killed if they lost...

[watka]

For these new frangled street circuits to be popular, they really need to make use of parkland, in a similar way to say Albert Park or Adelaide. It's really no good to keep winding right-angle after right-angle with no features, however wide the circuit. Even then the circuit will probably not be used very often and as such there is the perennial street circuit problem of the huge disadvantage of being off line.

[Stramala]

For these new frangled street circuits to be popular, they really need to make use of parkland, in a similar way to say Albert Park or Adelaide. It's really no good to keep winding right-angle after right-angle with no features, however wide the circuit. Even then the circuit will probably not be used very often and as such there is the perennial street circuit problem of the huge disadvantage of being off line.

Why is it only Australia that seem able to make good street circuits? Add Townsville to that list, it looks like a good one from watching the Dunlop Townsville 400 this year.