A Roman industrialist has presented a plan to host a Formula One race in the Italian capital starting in 2011.

Maurizio Flammini, one of the inventors of the Superbike motorcycling division, presented his plan to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone at Ferrari's annual winter retreat in Madonna di Campiglio earlier this month and Ecclestone was receptive to the idea, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported yesterday.

The race would be run on a city circuit in the EUR section of the city built by Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.

Flammini already made an attempt to bring an F1 race to Rome in 1984, but the bid fell apart.

The Italian Grand Prix is held each September in Monza. There used to be two races held in Italy each year, with the other in San Marino, but the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola hasn't been contested since 2006.

Organizing an F1 race in Rome would cost between e100 to e150 million ($130-$200 million), according to the Gazzetta.