Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix has been a mainstay of the Formula 1 calendar since the series’ debut season in 1950. Monza has also hosted Ferrari’s home race with all but one edition at Imola.

Imola had its only Italian GP so far in 1980 as Monza carried out extensive refurbishments to the Temple of Speed. But the track remained on the F1 calendar from 1981 until 2006 as the San Marino GP. Imola also re-claimed a spot on the billing in 2020 as the Emilia Romagna GP.

But Monza is the spiritual home of Formula 1 in Italy. The Italian GP is also one of two races, along with the British GP, to feature in every season F1 has ever run. It further serves as the home round for Ferrari, with the Scuderia’s passionate Tifosi flooding Monza in a sea of red.

History of the F1 Italian GP

Formula 1 visited Monza for the inaugural Italian GP to round out the series’ maiden season in 1950. It also acted as the title decider with Alfa Romeo trio Giuseppe Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli all in contention. Victory for home hero Farina secured him the title.

Ascari would later return to Monza in 1952 to round out a dominant title-winning year. The Italian secured Ferrari their first Formula 1 title in supreme fashion, winning six of the eight events after entering seven races. Ascari only did not win the Indy 500 after having to retire.

Monza delivered Formula 1 a new challenge for the 1955 Italian GP, though, after the circuit revamped its track. The Temple of Speed, as it would become known, created the Parabolica at the last corner. It also erected new banking to replace the previous loop last used in 1933.

Together, the changes to Monza created a combined 10km (6.2m) track. But Formula 1 only used the layout for two visits before returning to the established circuit layout in 1957. The banking had given Ferrari and Maserati issues in 1956 as Fangio won his fourth of five titles.

Yet when 1960 rolled around, the Italian GP organisers argued to return to using the banking to help the home teams. The British outfits, Cooper, Lotus and BRM, boycotted the race as a result over safety concerns. The banking was notoriously rough and unsuitable for their cars.

Ferrari would, ultimately, take a podium lock-out as Phil Hill became the first American to win a Formula 1 race. But the absence of the British teams overshadowed Hill’s achievement. F1 had also welcomed Formula 2 cars to take part in the 1960 Italian GP to boast a 16-car field.

Monza is the Temple of Speed and the site of Formula 1 records

Formula 1 again used the combined circuit in 1961 but returned to Monza’s standard circuit in 1962. The race in 1961 would prove to be F1’s final time using the banked loop where Hill claimed another victory. The Californian’s victory also secured him the 1961 title by a point.

The Italian GP did try to use the banked loop again in 1963 but the drivers found the surface too bumpy for F1 machinery during practice. It forced the race to use just the standard track from there on. Jackie Stewart also ignored team orders to win his first F1 race there in 1965.

A permanent return to Monza’s standard circuit has also seen Formula 1 drivers and teams set many records at Italian Grand Prix. Peter Gethin won the 1971 Italian GP for F1’s closest-ever finish at only 0.01 seconds. The top five that year were even split by only 0.61 seconds.

Gethin even held the record for setting the fastest average speed over a single lap during an F1 Grand Prix. His average speed of 242.615km/h (150.7mph) also stood for 32 years before Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher recorded an average of 247.5km/h (153.8mph) in 2003.

Monza adding chicanes throughout the circuit allowed Gethin’s record to remain in place for so long. But they were not enough to stop Juan Pablo Montoya penning an average speed of 262km/h (162.9mph) during qualifying in 2004 as the Colombian secured pole for Williams.

Montoya’s time has since been humbled with Formula 1 cars continually getting faster and gaining more downforce. At the time of writing, Lewis Hamilton boasts the record for F1’s fastest-ever lap with his pole position run for the 2020 Italian GP at 264.3km/h (164.2mph).

The Italian GP has seen F1 history like Niki Lauda’s miraculous return

As well as being the site for many Formula 1 records, the 1976 Italian GP at Monza was also the venue for Niki Lauda’s miraculous return. The race came just 42 days after the Austrian’s near-fatal crash at the German GP. Yet Lauda came through to finish the race in fourth place.

Schumacher also announced his first retirement from Formula 1 after winning the Italian GP in 2006. It was also the German’s at-the-time record fifth win around Monza, pulling clear of Nelson Piquet with four. Hamilton also matched Schumacher’s five Italian GP wins in 2018.

The 2008 Italian GP, meanwhile, saw Sebastian Vettel become the youngest Grand Prix race winner at the time. Driving for Faenza-based Toro Rosso, the German won the Italian team’s first F1 race at 21 years and 74 days. Vettel won from his first pole, secured in torrential rain.

Team Faenza, by then named AlphaTauri, also enjoyed another first-time Grand Prix winner on home soil in 2020 with Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman took advantage of Hamilton getting a stop-and-go penalty whilst leading the race after entering the pit lane once it was closed.

The 2021 Italian GP also saw Daniel Ricciardo lead Lando Norris home as McLaren won for the first time since the 2012 Brazilian GP with a one-two. Norris sacrificed his chance for a debut Grand Prix win to protect Ricciardo after Hamilton and Max Verstappen crashed out.

What is the Autodromo Nazionale Monza like?

The Italian GP at Autodromo Nazionale Monza provides Formula 1 drivers with a high-speed adrenaline rush like no other circuit. Such are the speeds achievable at the Temple of Speed that the Italian GP is often the shortest Grand Prix of the year – excluding those ended early.

Yet despite the circuit being a high-speed burst through the Royal Park, Monza still offers its challenges. Drivers must perfect their entry and exit lines to the corners or risk losing heaps of time on the straights. Any time lost is multiplied by the time that they next hit the brakes.

The Curva Grande (Turn 3) and Parabolica (T11) are also challenging in their own way as the drivers must stay committed through the sweeping bends. But too much throttle or a poor line through the bends will send the drivers drifting towards the limits and have to back off.

The Lesmo corners (Turns 6 and 7) also require commitment through both sharp right-hand bends. Variante Ascari (Turns 8, 9 and 10) – renamed from Vialone in 1974 in honour of the 1952 and 1953 F1 champion born in Milan – is also complex with a tight and fast racing line.

Winners of the F1 Italian GP