Imola, 15 June 2024 – A new independent garage, next to the race direction building. This is the further investment, closely linked to the confirmation until 2028 of Wec (whose starting grid will rise to 40 cars next year), which will be completed shortly in Autodrome.
The project, of which little is known yet (including costs), will land in the Municipality’s Budget commission this week. On that occasion, the majority and opposition representatives will be called to examine the resolution which the council will then bring to the city council for approval.
In the document, reference is made to a request made in recent days by Formula Imola (100% owned by Con.Ami), in which “the need to expand the provision of garages is communicated to maintain the standards necessary for international level sporting competitions”.
The project, which as we said at the beginning involves the creation of a new box body independent alongside the current race management, however, involves the occupation of a small portion of land not included in the agreement through which in 2012 the Municipality granted the Autodromo to Con.Ami.
Specifically, we are talking about the final stretch of Via Santerno, the access road to the circuit (Rivazza side), which will therefore have to be ‘de-owned’ to become part of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari compendium.
Then we will continue with the works which, in the intentions of the Council, must be started “in the shortest possible time given the need to complete the structure by March 2025 (the news came yesterday that the WEC will return to Imola on 18-20 April, ed) for the needs related to scheduled sporting events”.
Floors of Municipality, Con.Ami and Formula Imola are not convincing Simone Carapia (Brothers of Italy), which contests the many public investments in Enzo and Dino Ferrari. “VIP terrace worth three million, House of events at Tosa worth almost two million and now expansion of the garage. And if there will no longer be confirmation of the Formula 1 Grand Prix and other international events, what will this huge economic effort have been worth? – asks the opposition municipal councilor –. The Circus, but also other motorsport races, want to compete in places with high-level hospitality facilities and to satisfy these desires, millions and millions and economic support are needed.”
To this point, “given the many question marks and unknowns in the case, is the game worth the risk? Do we continue to invest and work with our heads down with the risk of being left empty-handed?”, asks Carapia again. And he concludes: “Here new construction sites are opened, public money is spent and requested without anything certain.
For the Autodrome, millions are spent and we run, while for other construction sites that serve the city we sleep and the pace is that of a sloth, with the not so remote possibility of being left with a handful of flies”.
