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Motor racing-Monza future looks secure, says local leader

By Alan Baldwin MONZA, Italy, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The historic Monza circuit is "99.9 percent" certain of remaining on the Formula One calendar after 2016 with a deal likely by the end of the year, the president of the northern Lombardy region said on Saturday. Roberto Maroni told reporters at the Italian Grand Prix that a meeting with the sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who has said local organisers cannot expect any cut-price deal, was cordial and positive. "Monza is 99.9 percent safe," he said. "We have told Ecclestone we want to close the deal and we will do it by the end of this year. We now have three months to put the money together." Maroni said he would be talking later to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who is due to attend Sunday's race at Monza. Renzi was quoted earlier in the week as saying he was going to tell Ecclestone to 'leave Monza alone'. The circuit, which has hosted races since the 1920s and featured on the calendar in every season but one since the world championship started in 1950, faces an uncertain future with its current contract ending next year. Ecclestone has hitherto shown signs of playing hardball with local organisers, sounding pessimistic about the chances of renewing the contract. However Maroni said he had no doubt Ecclestone wanted to retain the race. "I felt from Ecclestone a complete and total desire to keep the grand prix," he said. Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne told Reuters his team's home race needed to be safeguarded. "It's certainly my expectation that rational human beings will find a rational answer to the problem," he said. "The definition of rationality includes an understanding of the importance of the circuit in the context of Formula One. "The fact that we didn't run a German Grand Prix this year is nonsense....both Germany and Italy are home turfs to, at least for now, two of the most successful teams in Formula One. And you can't ignore home turf, you just can't," he said. "So whoever makes this decision better keep that in the back of their minds as I'm sure it matters to Mercedes to continue to run in Germany." Germany was dropped this season due to financial problems with the Nuerburgring, who alternate with Hockenheim. The race is set to return in 2016. Monza, the fastest circuit on the calendar, is also beloved of fans and drivers. One banner, among many festooned by Ferrari fans around the circuit, declared in Italian: 'Ecclestone, non toccare Monza (don't touch Monza)'. (Additional reporting by Harriet Baldwin, editing by Martyn Herman)