Sebastian Vettel has called on Bernie Ecclestone not to let Monza drop of the calendar for "s***** money reasons" after finishing second at his first Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver.
Vettel finished second behind Lewis Hamilton at Monza, though that result remains provisional as Mercedes is investigated for illegal tyre pressures. There is uncertainty about the continuation of Monza as host of the Italian Grand Prix, so much so prime minister Matteo Renzi appeared at the paddock on Sunday morning to personally lobby F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone for a contract extension.
After a rousing ovation from the tifosi for finishing second, Vettel thinks F1 would be mad to let the iconic circuit drop off the calendar.
"Look at this, this says it all," said Vettel, referring to the famous fan invasion under the podium which occurs every year."This is the best second place I have ever had, the emotions I have. If we take this away from the calendar for any s***** money reason you are basically ripping our hearts out. It makes it so much worthwhile, you stand on the grid... it was an incredible day."
Provisional winner Hamilton joined Vettel in calling on the race to stay, citing the incredible emotion of the podium ceremony and the amount of fans who make the trip every year.
"This is one of the best tracks in the world. This has to stay for moral reasons, you've got all those fans out there who come every single year - you're going to take this grand prix away from us and then put another one on that wouldn't have the same feeling or the same special impact? We definitely have to keep it."
Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, who finished third for the second year in a row at Monza, also said the emotion at the Italian circuit is unique.
"You cannot take it out," Massa said. "The history of Formula One ... here we are in the history of Formula One. Here is a part of what everything Formula One is. We race for the people and when you see the podium, with a lot of people screaming and crying, we cannot lose that. This is part of our blood and we cannot lose this type of race.
"We go to amazing countries, countries that didn't even know what [F1] was before and I love to go there. But you cannot lose something that is inside the blood [of the sport]."