Monza officials meet Ecclestone once again

Jul.4 (GMM) Monza is stepping up its campaign to save the embattled Italian grand prix.

After one recent meeting moved Bernie Ecclestone to declare "stalemate", officials of the fabled Autodromo Nazionale met again this week with the F1 supremo.

"It was a positive meeting, which was also attended by Andrea Dell'Orto," Monza official and former F1 driver Ivan Capelli told Italian broadcaster Sky at Silverstone.

Dell'Orto is president of the Confidustria (industry group) of Monza and Brianza.

"Ecclestone told us that if there is an Italian grand prix it is right that it is at Monza," Capelli added.

"We have defined a path that should lead to the renewal of the four-year contract. We must join forces with the city, region and government to find the necessary resources for the signing of the new agreement," he said.

The Lombardy region is already supportive, with president Roberto Maroni heading a campaign to have thousands of signatures added to a petition.

"The goal," Maroni is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport, "is that by September, we bring to the grand prix at Monza a truckload of signatures, so that Ecclestone knows that Monza is Monza.

"We want him to renew the agreement with the circuit without the exorbitant and absolutely unsustainable demands so far," he added.