F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone Says Monza, Italy Could Be Dropped From Circuit After '16

F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said that Monza, "home of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix since the first championship" in '50, "risks being dropped from the calendar" after '16, according to Alan Baldwin of REUTERS. Ecclestone said of a contract renewal, "Not good. I don't think we'll do another contract, the old one was a disaster for us from the commercial point of view. After 2016, bye bye..." Ecclestone has "previously threatened races as part of a bargaining procedure." The French Grand Prix has been absent since '08 while Austria, a "popular fixture with a circuit now owned by Red Bull, returned to the calendar only this season" after an 11-year break. Ferrari-owned Mugello has been "mooted as a possible future venue for an Italian Grand Prix." Monza, known as the "temple of Italian motorsport in a former royal park just outside Milan, has hosted the country's grand prix in every year" since '50, with the exception of '80, when Imola hosted the race (REUTERS, 7/1).