F1 in the Eternal City

Monaco is both a jet-setter's paradise and a highlight of the F1 calendar.

The principality's Grand Prix is far older than F1, it has been run since 1929, and became part of the first F1 season in 1950. Ayrton Senna had the greatest number of wins there, six, and the most successful team has been McLaren.

Monaco meets the definition of a true street circuit; every inch of it is used by city traffic when it is not closed off for racing. That alone is not enough for a succesful event. Factory units and warehouses are not an appropriate backdrop for an F1 race.

Monaco more than steps up to the plate with its harbour, attractive architecture, and crowds of beautiful people.

The plan for an F1 race in Rome has been put forward by a former F2 driver named Maurizio Flammini., who now also promotes motorcycle races.

Like Monaco, the race would be held over streets normally used by the city's busy traffic. The unique attraction, of course, would the backdrop of Rome's historic buildings.

In order to calm jealous fears expressed by Monaco and Monza, is has been suggested that the Rome race would be a one-off event.

'2000 Years In Pole Position' is a neat campaign slogan, although I find the mix of Italian and English a bit weird.

As currently proposed by Rome's Mayor Gianni Alemanno, the circuit will be 4.67km long, with an expected lap time in the region of 1m 34s. However, the circuit has had several iterations since the idea was first floated, and may well change again.

The key thing for the project is to secure an F1 race date, and at the moment the city plans to bid for one in 2012.

Strange to say, the greatest opposition to a Rome Grand Prix has come from Italians.

Rome is already the #1 tourist destination in Italy, and some northern cities resent the notion of 'dirty Rome' getting another slice of glamour pie; they suggest that the eternal city should stick to chariot races.

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali has expressed himself against the idea, saying that 'there should only be one Monaco', and that Rome should concentrate on its infrastructure.

The current FIA/Ferrari war is also a threat. Mayor Alemanno has said the project is dead without Ferrari in F1.

With Korea and India high in the queue to stage an F1 event, it is going to be hard to find a hole in the calendar for a Rome GP. That, of course, is why Monza, traditional home of the Italian GP, feels threatened.

At the moment Spain is the only country to have two F1 events, with both its national GP at Barcelona and the 'European' GP in Valencia. Few F1 fans, I suspect, would miss Valencia.

Bernie Ecclestone has suggested that the British GP could skip a year if Donnington is not ready for 2010. My fear is that skipping a year would really mean the British GP vanishing forever, and that could be the hole filled by Rome.