Mugello keen to host Italian GP if Monza round cancelled

Mugello could replace Monza as the host of the Italian Grand Prix this year if the latter is unable to stage its race amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

F1 is currently working on a new race calendar that is set to see the 2020 campaign kick-off in Austria with two rounds at the Red Bull Ring in July.

It is expected to be followed up by two races at Silverstone in the United Kingdom, however question marks remain over the events in England due to possible quarantine restrictions. 

Similar doubts are in place over a 2020 race at Monza, which is located in Lombardy - one of the worst-impacted COVID-19 areas in Europe. 

Mugello, which is situated in Scarperia e San Piero in the Tuscany region, is open to becoming the new venue for the Italian Grand Prix should it be impossible for Monza to stage a race.

"Should there be a need to organize a GP behind closed doors to replace Monza, if in September the situation in Lombardy doesn't allow it, Mugello would be the ideal place to organize it," Scarperia e San Piero mayor Federico Ignesti told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Formula 1 last visited Mugello in 2012, when a three-day in-season test took place with Romain Grosjean setting the fastest time in the Lotus E20.

Mugello is an annual venue on the MotoGP calendar, however the 2020 race on May 31st was called off due to the coronavirus.

F1 CEO Chase Carey recently admitted that circuits that were not originally part of the 2020 calendar could feature on a revised schedule. Ignesti added that a race in 2020 at Mugello would provide F1 with an extra venue, while also allowing fans to see a new track on the calendar. 

"We would be ready to invest and discuss it with the region of Tuscany and the Chamber of Commerce because it would be a unique opportunity to bring the F1 to a new circuit, give visibility to our circuit, and also build a structured collaboration for the coming years,” Ignesti said.

“We don't know what chance we will have to organize a GP, but we are ready to find resources in our region even if we have one chance in one hundred.” 

Mugello currently holds a Grade 1 FIA licence, meaning it meets the standards required to host an F1 race.

Ignesti added: “The Mugello Circuit, homologated for Formula 1, is excellent for its professionalism, for its quality and for its beauty. We talked about it with ACI (Automobile Club of Italy) and we are ready to try.”