Mugello eyes place on F1 race calendar

Mugello, the Ferrari owned circuit near Florence, has set its sights on hosting a grand prix.

As the high speed circuit hosts this week’s rare in-season formula one test, circuit director Paolo Poli was asked about speculation Mugello might soon bid for a spot on the race calendar.

"We are working to improve the track, to test the ability of the infrastructure and our potential to be able to think about something more," he said on the Raisport 1 programme Mattina Sport.

"The path is long, but we do not want to miss the opportunity," added Poli.

Reports suggest Ferrari pushed hard for Mugello to be selected for this week’s test, calling in old favours and tempting teams by waiving the circuit rental fee.

Crowds have been high, with 15,000 spectators on Wednesday.

"1 to 10, I’d give it 8.5," said Nico Rosberg after his first taste of the high speed layout.

Agreed Mark Webber: "Ten laps around Mugello is the same as doing 1000 laps around Abu Dhabi in terms of satisfaction."

However, not everyone is happy about Mugello’s apparent ambitions.

"We have a contract with FOM until 2016," insisted Enrico Ferrari, the director of the fabled Italian grand prix venue Monza.

"We respect certain initiatives, but we should remember that Monza is part of automotive history and I think there is a desire for this tradition to be respected."