Since you all care about F1 and especially seeing many of you put Monza in the list of preferred tracks (something I’m flattered for and I say a big thank you) I thought that it was opportune to give you all an update and a more general view with details probably you aren’t aware of, on the current Monza’s track situation related to noise problem, situation that unfortunately is now getting worse.
As you certainly know in the last weeks of 2005 a sentence of a judge of Milan’s tribunal stopped the track activity for vehicles running without silencer.
The whole thing started because of a complain from 2 families, 6 people living in Biassono, a little town on the boundary of the park that gives name to one of the track’s corners, the one also called Curva Grande; part of Biassono is just on the other side of the wall running close to the corner.
These people took residence in Biassono in early 90s, 1991 I believe (remember the track is there since 1922), and almost immediately started to complain about noise. They formed few years later, the so called “Comitato Anti-rumore di Biassono” (Biassono Anti-noise Committee).
AFAIK the committee is formed only by these people and nobody else living near the track, in Biassono (my mom is from there, and I know a few people there) or in other towns on the area, close to 2000 people, decided to associate with them. That alone should say something.
As natural, on the other hand, they got support from greens that always looked for ways to have the track closed, and not only since I can remember (I’m 29), but well before that.
In 2001 these people made a further complain against the society managing the circuit asking for a compensation for supposed damages to health caused by noise coming from track activity. Till now they didn’t show proofs of these supposed damages.
The relevant articles of the Italian law in this case are two.
A first one requiring for the area around circuits a noise limit of 70 dB for “normal” days, with a dispensation, no limit, for 37 days per year.
The second article is more general and considers a cause of illegal noise pollution anything leading to a growth by 3 dB of the normal noise level in a given area.
It should be easy to understand that the first article was expressly meant to be a concession from the second one for race circuits (Monza, Imola, Mugello, Vallelunga etc etc), but the judge, also on the basis that the complain was filed by private citizens against a private society and not against a public institution, regarded as more relevant the second article and emanated an urgent injunction to stop the activity on the track for vehicles not homologated for utilization on public roads (example, a WRC car is ok, hence why we had anyway the “Rally” just few days after the sentence, a F1 obviously not).
As you also probably know in the sentence the judge labelled motorsport as “a voluptuary and dangerous activity without social utility and with relevant impact on the environment”.
Many people, me included, have the suspect that this severe phrase is a proof that his decision has probably little to do with the specific case but more likely with a general aversion to motorsport. In two words, the complainer found the right judge sharing same idea.
Anyway the judge suggested to reach an agreement between the two parts to settle the argument.
That’s what the society managing Autodromo tried to do in the last few months, proposing a reduction of the “no limit” days from 37 to 25-30.
The problem is that these people want to drastically reduce ANY activity on the track, not only that of non silenced vehicles but of all vehicles, even that of production cars. On what basis I can’t really tell, I only know that that’s what they ask for. As a start they proposed only 30 days of activity in total, later changing the proposal to 60.
To understand what this would mean for the track consider that at the moment the activity is in the order of 250-260 days per year.
Obviously most of them, about 150, are only for production cars/bikes launch or magazine tests, driving school or simply open days for normal people wanting to do few laps with their road cars/bikes. As you can imagine the noise level generated by this activity is comparable to noise level coming from any normal road because same vehicles are used.
Then we have races/tests for vehicles using silencers and still being under the law’s limit of 70dB, then the 37 days for races/tests of vehicles with “free” exhausts like F1, Fia Gt, F3000 etc etc.
To accept the proposal of these people hence cutting about 200 days of activity would mean certain closure for the track, it could never survive with such limitation of incomes, it’s already difficult as it is.
The latest news, the one convincing me to write this post, is that last Thursday Milan’s tribunal rejected the appeal that Autodromo management presented immediately last November, de facto confirming the stop of activity for non silenced vehicles, and insisting on the suggestion to reach an agreement.
At this point the situation is, in all honesty, discouraging. As for today the F1 race in September simply couldn’t take place. F1 tests will not be allowed, Gp Masters has already been cancelled, just like the 1000 km in September, the Intereuropa cup for historical cars and a quantity of minor races.
All of that is happening in spite of the fact that the Autodromo always did everything law required in term of anti noise barriers, of limitations to activity (not before 9 am, not after 6.30 pm, and with a pause at noon), and that since 1994 there are microphones measuring the noise level and giving to track management the complete picture of the situation day by day.
Needless to say that if the situation doesn’t change the Monza’s area is going to face very difficult circumstances also from the economical point of view because there are no less than 30-35 families basing their earnings solely on the circuit, without considering all the hotels, bar, and all the commercial activities living mainly thanks to circuit presence and its frequent activity.
To that you then have to add the prestige the track gives to Monza, to the whole region, to the whole Italy actually, all over the world, as you all can testimony.
At the end there’s one further thing that our dear friends greens always forget : if it wasn’t for the presence of the circuit you can bet that the whole Monza’s park, that is 200 years old and is the largest enclosed park in Europe, couldn’t be preserved in the same way; without the incomes the track generates its maintenance would be simply an unaffordable cost.
That’s it. I’m sorry if you found this post too long and possibly boring, but as I said, I thought it was just fair to give you all a reasonably precise view of the current situation.
A further attempt to find a solution should take place in the last days of this month, I’ll try keep you all informed. Meanwhile, if you read Italian, you can visit the site of the Amici dell’Autodromo (Autodromo’s friends) where you can find a few info, also about the banked corners : http://www.amiciautodromo.it
Thank you for your time.
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Thanks for the update Reca. This sounds like a bleak situation and to be honest, with most things revolving around the sport one always thinks "ahh, they'll sort it out, they always do." Doesn't sound that way this time unfortunately. What a bloody nightmare, I can't believe it! I'm sure they've tried appealling on some sort of historic grounds and the job losses front have they? Revenue for the area etc.?
. What now? Monaco?
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