Ecclestone says Rome will not replace Monza

Bernie Ecclestone has given his personal assurance that Rome is not set to replace historic Monza on the Formula One calendar.

"Don't worry: the Grand Prix of Italy is staying at Monza," Enrico Gelpi, president of the Italian sanctioning body ACI, is quoted as saying by Il Messaggero.

Gelpi sought out Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive, at the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Bahrain on Thursday.

His informal meeting followed news that Ecclestone, 79, is set to add a Rome street race to the calendar in 2013, with the Italian capital rumoured to be willing to pay significantly more than Monza for the hosting rights.

"Ecclestone's assurance, as we have repeatedly confirmed, is that there has never existed the possibility to separate Monza from the Italian Grand Prix," said Gelpi.

Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno said: "Ecclestone's clarification confirms what we have said for some time. There is no competition between the two races (Monza and Rome)."