Formula 1 Monza Circuit: A Closer Look at the Iconic Track of the Italian Grand Prix
It’s Called The Temple of Speed for a Reason…
The Monza Circuit has been home to the Italian Grand Prix since 1950 and is one of the most storied racetracks in the world. Let us take a closer look at what many call the most electrifying course on the F1 schedule.
Magnificent Monza
Formula 1 racing is about more than flashy cars moving at blistering speeds. It is also about the exotic destinations, the massive amount of wealth it takes to engineer and support an F1 team, and the collection of international celebrities, athletes, and high society bon vivants who regularly attend the events.
Knockout! 🥊
The stars have turned up in force at Monza 🇮🇹#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/647ivrzjmU
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
And although the Monaco Grand Prix is generally regarded as the most prestigious of the F1 events, the Italian Grand Prix boasts being one of the oldest, and the Formula 1 Monza Circuit is the site of the most frequently run course in the annals of grand prix events.
Monza has been the venue for the race since 1922, interrupted only by war and national calamities, and only in 1980 did the Italian Grand Prix relocate for one year to Imola. Aside from that, the Italian Grand Prix has been at Monza every single year since 1950 and will celebrate its 93rd run over 53 laps of the 3.6-mile course on Sunday, September 3rd, 2023.
It’s called the Temple of Speed for a reason! 🚀#F1 cars complete a lap of Monza 1 minute and 15 seconds quicker than a family car would 🚗#F1Insights #ItalianGP @awscloud pic.twitter.com/xZfkSzhJRI
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
Fast and Deadly
Monza is a fan favorite and the F1 drivers enjoy the course’s architecture that allows dizzying speeds in the straightaways, up to 217 miles per hour. And because of that, its race times are often in the neighborhood of 75 minutes.
A stunning 83 percent of the race can be driven at full throttle and Michael Schumacher set the record of 1:14:19.838 in 2003, which is just the blink of an eye compared to some other events on the schedule.
1992 Italian GP 🏁
Michael Schumacher 🇩🇪#classiccars pic.twitter.com/SD3S3J7Ehq— Retr⭕mania (10 K+) (@Retromania4ever) May 16, 2023
Monza has seen incredibly close races, as evidenced by the 1971 event in which Peter Gethin overtook Ronnie Peterson at the finish line by just .001 seconds. And in that race, five drivers finished within 0.61 seconds between them. Pointspreads.com annually provides extensive coverage of Monza and Italian GP odds.
Unfortunately, Formula 1 Monza circuit is nothing without its tragedies. The ghosts of races past still lurk, as 42 drivers have been killed over the years with Gregor Kuhn as the first fatality during the inaugural race in 1922. The last driver to lose his life at Monza was Marco Burnelli in 1999. There have also been a combined 25 spectators who died in two separate incidents, in 1928 and 1961.
Picturesque Home of Ferrari
The Italian Grand Prix is among the most breathtakingly picturesque on the F1 calendar. Nestled within the Royal Villa of Monza, which was built in the late 18th century, the lush pitch of the parkland area under a leafy canopy of trees makes for an exquisite backdrop to one of the season’s most anticipated events.
Formula 1 Monza circuit happens to be on the same soil as the maker of one of the world’s most exotic automobiles—Ferrari. The Tifosi brigade, rabid supporters of Scuderia Ferrari, is omnipresent and bedecked in a sea of red at an event that can hold nearly 120,000 people.
Win or lose, Monza is red ❤️#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/uCxbPVSMcO
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2022
Unlike some F1 events where spectators can be hard to find, the Grand Prix at Monza never has that problem. The atmosphere is that of a festival and the fans are acutely aware of the drivers, crews, and owners of these multi-million-dollar machines. Fans also tune in from around the world to watch this iconic race, and if you’re one to bet on F1 races Monza is a must-watch.
Michael Schumacher
– Year 2000
– Italian GP 2000 (Monza)#Ferrari #MichaelSchumacher #ItalianGP2000 #ItalianGP #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/qjsXtOhKSN
— Automobile-Kunst (@John_Stickel) June 10, 2022
British F1 driver, Lewis Hamilton pointed out the electricity of the crowd at Monza by saying, “I think it’s important just not to forget that the sport wouldn’t really exist if it wasn’t for the fans; there are tracks we’ve been to where there’s been no one in the grandstands.”
Fellow Brit driver, Jenson Button, echoed those sentiments and remarked, “There’s so much history. The fans absolutely love the sport, they’ll do anything for the sport. They’re not going to be there to support us, they’re there to support a certain team, but that’s great to see, it’s nice to see their passion, they’re patriotic. And the circuit’s fun to drive. It’s a very unique circuit, it’s very different to any other, very low downforce. Always throws up a good race.”
There’s no place like Monza 💫🇮🇹#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/lxOPFyNQ92
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2022
Author: Sin City Sniper
Author: Sin City SniperBusting bookmakers and taking their money is his greatest joy in life. He’s been around the block more than once, knows the players both on and off the field of battle, and uses his experience to serve the bookies a heaping plate of humble pie washed down by a warm glass of their salty tears. You can find him in any number of Vegas books, sniping weak lines and getting paid to do it
The opinions and view here expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Point Spreads or any of its affiliates. Point Spreads is not responsible and does not verify for accuracy any of the articles and content pieces included herein; moreover, besides being solely the opinion or views of the authors, these content pieces are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, anyone or anything.
