There are circuits, and then there is Monza.
Opened in 1922 and a fixture of the Formula 1 calendar since 1950 (missing only once), Monza is not just the fastest track in F1—it’s its cathedral, a place of glory, ghosts, and red-blooded chaos. It’s the home of Ferrari, the shrine of straight-line supremacy, and the only place where a nation holds its breath every September, waiting for a miracle in scarlet.
You don’t whisper Monza’s name. You chant it. Loudly. In Italian. Covered in red.
Biggest Moments at Monza – Where History Goes 350km/h
1971 – The Closest Finish in F1 History
Peter Gethin wins by 0.01 seconds. The top five finish within 0.61. They call it a Grand Prix, but it looked like a drag race. Vintage Monza madness.
1988 – Ferrari’s Impossible Win
Just weeks after Enzo Ferrari’s death, Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto finish 1–2 for Ferrari. McLaren’s perfect season is shattered. Italy cries. So does half the paddock.
2020 – Pierre Gasly Shocks the World
A red flag, a penalty for Hamilton, and a perfect drive from AlphaTauri’s Gasly deliver the most unlikely win in modern F1. Monza goes ballistic. Tifosi adopt a Frenchman.
2021 – Verstappen Rides Over Hamilton
Turn 1. Verstappen refuses to yield. His car ends up on top of Hamilton’s Mercedes. Halo saves the day. Title tensions explode again in the most dramatic way possible.
2023 – Ferrari Dares, Red Bull Delivers
Sainz leads from pole, defends like a lion, but Verstappen breaks the record for most consecutive wins anyway. Still, the tifosi erupt—because Ferrari fought. And that matters here.
The Track’s Character – Style & Myth
Monza is a straight-line cathedral carved through trees and time.
It’s only 11 corners—but they’re not really the point. It’s not about precision. It’s about pure velocity, low downforce setups, and whether your engine has the lungs to survive 78% of the lap at full throttle.
The lap starts at Curva Grande, long, flat-out and legendary. Then it’s into Roggia and the Lesmos, corners that look simple until you hit them a few kph too hot and land in the gravel.
Then comes the Ascari chicane—fluid, flowing, a high-speed ballet of balance and bravery. Miss it and you’re toast. Nail it and you’re flying.
Finally, the legendary Parabolica (now named after Michele Alboreto, but still whispered by its old name)—a long, sweeping final corner where you set up your move for the main straight or completely destroy your run.
There’s no room for error. And at these speeds? Error arrives in tenths and finishes in carbon shards.
DRS here is king. Slipstreaming is currency. And on Lap 1, heading into Turn 1’s tight chicane, it’s a demolition derby waiting to happen.
Outside the Track – Smoke, Screams, and the Sea of Red
You’ve never heard passion until you’ve stood inside Monza’s front straight as a Ferrari driver takes pole. Or the lead. Or even just survives.
The tifosi aren’t just fans. They’re believers. They don’t cheer—they chant, wave flags, ignite flares, and threaten to burn down reality if Ferrari doesn’t deliver.
When they invade the track after the race, it’s not a celebration. It’s a ritual.
The park setting, the grandstands, the echoes through the trees—it all feels ancient. And that’s because it is. You don’t come to Monza to watch F1. You come to be consumed by it.
Circuit History & Stats – A Century at Full Throttle
- Debut: 1950 (part of inaugural F1 World Championship)
- Original Layout: Featured terrifying high-speed banking, now retired but still visible—crumbling and holy
- Length: 5.793 km
- Fastest Lap Ever: 1:18.887 (Hamilton, 2020 Q3 – still the fastest average speed in F1 history)
- Most Wins: Michael Schumacher (5), Lewis Hamilton (5)
- Ferrari Wins: 19 (but none since Leclerc’s 2019 classic)
- Race Speed Record: Kimi Räikkönen holds the fastest ever F1 lap (average 263.587 km/h, 2018 Q3)
Monza doesn’t change. It doesn’t want to. And that’s why it’s sacred.
Legacy – The Sacred Heart of Speed
Monza is not subtle.
It is the oldest, fastest, loudest, and most unapologetically emotional race on the calendar. It’s where Ferrari lives and dies. It’s where speed feels holy. It’s not just part of the F1 mythos—it is the mythos.
Lose Monza, and you don’t just lose a race.
You lose the part of Formula 1 that bleeds, bellows, and believes.
You lose the Temple of Speed.
And you’d never forgive yourself.
