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Monza Circuit
*Autodromo Nazionale di Monza*
The Temple of Speed

Location	Monza, Italy
Time zone	CET (UTC+1) CEST (DST)
Coordinates	45°37′14″N 9°17′22″E / 45.62056°N 9.28944°E / 45.62056; 9.28944
Capacity	118,865
FIA Grade	1
Owner	Comune di Monza & Milano
Operator	SIAS S.p.A.
Broke ground	15 May 1922; 103 years ago (1922-05-15)
Opened	3 September 1922; 102 years ago (1922-09-03)
Architect	Alfredo Rosselli
Major events	Current: Formula One Italian Grand Prix (1950–1979, 1981–present) FIA World Endurance Championship and predecessors 6 Hours of Monza (1949–1988, 1990–1992, 1995–2001, 2003–2005, 2007–2008, 2021–2023) GT World Challenge Europe (2013–2019, 2021, 2023) Former: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Italian motorcycle Grand Prix (1949–1968, 1970–1971, 1973, 1981, 1983, 1986–1987) World SBK (1990, 1992–1993, 1995–2013) FIM EWC (1964–1965, 1985, 1987) WTCC Race of Italy (2005–2008, 2010–2013, 2017) Race of Two Worlds (1957–1958)
Modern Grand Prix Circuit (2000–present)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	5.793 km (3.600 mi)
Turns	11
Race lap record	1:21.046 (159.91 mph (257.35 km/h)) ( Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari F2004, 2004, F1)
Oval (1955–1971)
Surface	Concrete/Asphalt
Length	4.250 km (2.641 mi)
Turns	2
Banking	≈30°
Race lap record	0:54.0 (176.06 mph (283.34 km/h)) ( Bob Veith, Bowes Seal Fast Special, 1958, IndyCar)
Junior Course (1959–present)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.405 km (1.494 mi)
Race lap record	0:54.300 ( Giorgio Schön, Porsche 934/76, 1976, Group 5)
Combined Course (1955–1971)
Surface	Asphalt/Concrete
Length	10.000 km (6.213 mi)
Turns	9
Race lap record	2.43.600 (138.58 mph (223.02 km/h)) ( Phil Hill, Ferrari 246 F1, 1960, F1)

The Monza Circuit (also known as Autodromo Nazionale di Monza) is a famous race track in Italy. It's located near the city of Monza, just north of Milan. Built in 1922, it was one of the first special race tracks in the world. It's also the oldest track in mainland Europe!

Monza is best known for hosting the Italian Grand Prix, a huge Formula One race. This event has been held there almost every year since 1949.

The circuit is inside the beautiful Royal Villa of Monza park. It actually has three different tracks:

The main Grand Prix track, which is about 5.793 km (3.600 mi) long.
A shorter Junior track, about 2.405 km (1.494 mi) long.
A super-fast oval track, about 4.250 km (2.641 mi) long, with really steep turns called "bankings." This oval wasn't used for many years but has been fixed up recently.

Some of the most famous parts of the main Grand Prix track include the Curva Grande, the Curva di Lesmo, the Variante Ascari, and the Curva Alboreto. The Curva Grande is a very fast turn that Formula One cars usually take at full speed!

Besides Formula One, Monza has hosted many other exciting races. These include endurance sports car races like the 1000 km Monza and motorcycle Grand Prix events. It also hosts cycling and running events, like the Monza 12h Cycling Marathon. In 2017, it was even chosen by Nike for a special event where runners tried to break the 2-hour marathon record!

Monza is known for being a very fast track. Because of its high speeds, the track has been changed many times over the years. These changes help make it safer for both drivers and spectators. Even with updates, some drivers still feel it needs more space for cars to slow down safely, especially in certain corners.

History of the Monza Circuit
A Lap of the Circuit in a Formula One Car
Lap Records
Safety and Accidents
Previous Track Layouts
Events Held at Monza
See also

History of the Monza Circuit

Building the Track

The starting grid of the "1st Cup Fiera di Milano" race in 1925.

Cars racing across a bridge at Monza in 1925.

The first Monza track was built very quickly, from May to July in 1922. About 3,500 workers helped build it. The Milan Automobile Club paid for the project. They even created a special company, SIAS, to manage the track.

The first track was about 10 km (6.2 mi) long. It had a 4.5 km (2.8 mi) loop and a 5.5 km (3.4 mi) road track. The circuit officially opened on September 3, 1922. The very first race held there was the second Italian Grand Prix on September 10, 1922.

Early Changes and Safety

In 1928, a serious accident happened during the 1928 Italian Grand Prix. A driver named Emilio Materassi and 27 spectators were killed. This sad event led to changes. For a while, Grand Prix races were only held on the high-speed loop.

More changes happened in 1933. Three drivers died during a race, which became known as the "Black Day of Monza." After this, the track layout was changed again to make it safer. New bends were added, and the high-speed oval was removed for a time. The track became 6.300 km (3.915 mi) long.

World War II stopped racing at Monza until 1948. After the war, the track was quickly fixed up in just two months. A Grand Prix race was held there again on October 17, 1948.

The High-Speed Oval

The Pista di Alta Velocità banking in 2003.

In 1954, a big project started to completely rebuild the circuit. This created a 5.750 km (3.573 mi) road course and a new 4.250 km (2.641 mi) high-speed oval. The oval had very steep, banked turns called sopraelevata curves.

The amazing thing was that these two tracks could be joined together! This created a huge 10 kilometres (6.214 mi) long circuit. Cars would even run side-by-side on the main straight. The first Lesmo curve was also made faster.

The Automobile Club of Italy held special races called the Race of Two Worlds in 1957 and 1958. These races tried to make American IndyCars race against European Formula One and sports cars. People worried about how safe it would be to race flat-out on the banked oval. In the end, American cars usually won these races.

Formula One used the long 10 km (6.2 mi) combined track in 1955, 1956, 1960, and 1961. But in the 1961 race, a terrible accident happened. Driver Wolfgang von Trips and fifteen spectators died. Even though the accident wasn't on the oval, the high speeds were seen as too dangerous. After this, Formula One stopped using the oval.

New safety walls and fences were added to the track. In 1966, special turns called "chicanes" were added before the banked sections to slow cars down. Another death in 1968 led to even more safety changes. The track layout was changed to include permanent chicanes, making the track a bit longer.

The banked oval held its last race in 1969. Even though it's old and a bit worn, the banking still exists today! It's sometimes used for the Monza Rally, which was part of the 2021 World Rally Championship.

Circuit Changes and Modernisation

Monza has always been a place for fast races. Drivers would often race very close together, creating exciting finishes.

As cars got faster, more chicanes were added in 1972 to reduce speeds. The track became 5.755 km (3.576 mi) long. Sadly, two serious motorcycle accidents in 1973 led to five deaths. Motorcycle racing didn't return to Monza until 1981.

The chicanes added in 1972 weren't slowing cars enough. So, in 1974 and 1976, more changes were made. New chicanes were added, and areas for cars to slow down safely (run-off areas) were made bigger. The Grand Prix track then became 5.800 km (3.604 mi) long.

In 1979, even more safety measures were added. These included new kerbs, bigger run-off areas, and tire barriers. The pit area was also improved to hold more cars. These changes helped bring world championship motorcycle racing back in 1981. Throughout the 1980s, the track continued to be updated.

After the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at another circuit in 1994, Monza made more safety improvements. The three main long curves were made tighter to add more gravel traps. This shortened the lap to 5.770 km (3.585 mi). In 1997, the spectator stands were rebuilt to hold 51,000 people.

In 2000, the first chicane on the main straight was changed. This was done to try and reduce accidents at the start of races. Sadly, during the 2000 Italian Grand Prix, a fire marshal named Paolo Gislimberti was killed by flying debris after a big crash.

In 2007, the gravel run-off area at the second chicane was replaced with asphalt. The track's current length is 5.793 km (3.600 mi). In 2010, Italian rider Max Biaggi set the fastest motorcycle lap ever at Monza.

Plans were made in 2016 to change the first bend and add a new, faster chicane. There were also plans to bring back gravel to the Parabolica bend. However, these plans were stopped because the track is in the historic Monza Park.

A Lap of the Circuit in a Formula One Car

Satellite photograph of the circuit from 2018.

The 1.12 km (0.70 mi) start/finish straight.

Monza is famous for being a very fast track. It has long straight sections and tight chicanes (sharp turns). This makes it the fastest track on the Formula One calendar since 1991. Cars need good brakes and strong grip when speeding up.

Formula One engines are at full power for almost 80% of the lap. This means engine problems can happen often. For example, Fernando Alonso in 2006 and Nico Rosberg in 2015 had engine failures here.

Drivers are at full throttle for most of the lap. This is where Formula One cars show how incredibly fast they are. In the mid-2000s, cars reached speeds of 372 km/h (231 mph)! Even with newer engines, speeds can still reach 360 km/h (220 mph).

The track is mostly flat, but there's a slight uphill section. Because cars need to be very fast on the straights, they use small wing angles. This means they have less "downforce," which helps cars stick to the track in corners. So, cars can slide a bit more here.

There are only six main corner areas at Monza: the first two chicanes, the two Lesmos, the Ascari complex, and the Parabolica. Cars are set up to go as fast as possible on the long straight parts.

Cars approach the first corner at about 340 km/h (210 mph). They brake hard before the first chicane, the Variante del Rettifilo. This corner is often where accidents happen at the start of a race. Getting a good exit from this corner is super important for a fast lap.

After the first chicane, cars speed down to the Variante della Roggia chicane at 330 km/h (210 mph). This chicane is a great place for drivers to try and overtake each other.

The Curve di Lesmo are two challenging corners. The first one is a blind turn, meaning drivers can't see the exit as they enter. A mistake here can send a car spinning into the gravel.

The Variante Ascari is a tricky series of turns that is key to a good lap time.

The final challenge is the Curva Parabolica. Cars approach it at 335 km/h (208 mph). They quickly go around the corner, speeding up onto the main straight. A good exit here can help a driver get a "slipstream" (following closely behind another car to reduce air resistance) and try to overtake them into the first chicane.

In 2022, a Formula One car reached a maximum speed of 356.4 km/h (221.5 mph) at the end of the main straight. Drivers experience strong forces when braking and changing speeds quickly.

Lap Records

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest pole position lap at Monza in 2020. He completed a lap in 1 minute and 18.887 seconds. This was the fastest average lap speed ever recorded in qualifying for a World Championship event!

The official race lap record for the current track layout is 1 minute and 21.046 seconds. This was set by Rubens Barrichello in a Ferrari F2004 during the 2004 Italian Grand Prix.

Here are some of the fastest official race lap records at Monza:

Category	Driver	Vehicle	Time	Event
Grand Prix Circuit (2000–present): 5.793 km
Formula One	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari F2004	1:21.046	2004 Italian Grand Prix
FIA F2	Richard Verschoor	Dallara F2 2018	1:33.155	2022 Monza Formula 2 round
LMP2	Mikkel Jensen	Aurus 01	1:35.988	2020 4 Hours of Monza
LM GTE	Alessandro Pier Guidi	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	1:45.947	2022 6 Hours of Monza
GT3	Miguel Ramos	Mercedes-AMG GT3	1:47.153	2019 Monza International GT Open round
Combined Circuit (1955–1971): 10.000 km
F1	Phil Hill	Ferrari 246 F1	2:43.600	1960 Italian Grand Prix

Safety and Accidents

The curve where Alberto Ascari crashed in 1955.

Monza's high speeds have unfortunately led to many accidents throughout its history. These events have often resulted in important safety improvements to the track. Here are some of the notable incidents that led to changes:

1922: Fritz Kuhn was killed during practice.
1923: Ugo Sivocci was killed during practice.
1924: Louis Zborowski was killed after crashing into a tree.
1928: Emilio Materassi and 27 spectators were killed when Materassi crashed into the grandstand.
1931: Luigi Arcangeli was killed after crashing during practice.
1933: Giuseppe Campari, Mario Umberto Borzacchini, and Stanislas Czaykowski were killed after crashing during a race. This day became known as the "Black Day of Monza."
1954: Rupert Hollaus was killed during practice.
1955: Alberto Ascari was killed during private testing.
1961: Wolfgang von Trips and 14 spectators were killed after von Trips' car went into the barriers. This led to Formula One no longer using the high-speed oval.
1965: Bruno Deserti and Tommy Spychiger were killed in separate incidents.
1970: Jochen Rindt was killed after crashing during practice.
1973: Renzo Pasolini and Jarno Saarinen were killed in a mass crash during a motorcycle race. Three other riders, Carlo Chionio, Renzo Colombini, and Renato Galtrucco, also died in a separate motorcycle race that year.
1974: Silvio Moser died in hospital after suffering injuries in a race.
1978: Ronnie Peterson died in hospital after crashing at the start of a race.
1998: Michael Paquay, a Belgian motorbike racer, died after a crash in practice.
2000: Paolo Gislimberti, a marshal, was killed by flying debris after a crash.