Misplaced Pages

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116-528: On modern racing circuits, chicanes are usually located after long straights, making them a prime location for overtaking. They can be placed tactically by circuit designers to prevent vehicles from reaching speeds deemed to be unsafe. A prime example of this is the three chicanes at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza , introduced in the early 1970s; the Chase at Mount Panorama , added in 1987; and

232-659: A Mercedes car in a time of 1:18.887 at an average speed of 264.362 km/h (164.267 mph). A total of eleven Italian drivers have won the Italian Grand Prix; seven before World War II and four when it was part of the World Championship; most recently Ludovico Scarfiotti won in 1966. Alberto Ascari won the race three times (once before Formula One and twice during the Formula One championship). Elio de Angelis and Riccardo Patrese both won

348-482: A Mercedes. The 1928 race was the first of many tragedies that befell this venue. Italians Emilio Materassi in a Talbot and Giulio Foresti in a Bugatti were battling around the fast circuit. As they came off the banking onto the left side of the pit straight at 125 mph (200 km/h), one of the front wheels of Materassi's overtaking Talbot touched one of the rear wheels of the Bugatti. Materassi lost control of

464-422: A Monza hospital. Prior to the final, there was a drivers meeting to discuss the oil patch, and it was decided to clean it up. On the eighth lap, Polish aristocrat Count Stanislas Czaykowski was on the south banking when his Bugatti's engine blew up, and a fuel line then broke. The fuel from the Bugatti's tank caught fire after touching the very hot front section of the Bugatti where the engine and gearbox were and

580-569: A collision with Jim Clark 's Lotus sent von Trips' car airborne and into the barriers at the approach to the Parabolica. Although the accident did not occur on the oval section of the track, the high speeds were deemed unsafe and F1 use of the oval was ended. Another attempt was made to use the combined circuit for the 1963 race, but the extremely bumpy nature and poor overall quality of the concrete banking saw some cars suffer mechanically. The teams protested and threatened to leave unless only

696-409: A concrete surface instead of asphalt, was of very poor quality and was supported by stilts rather than solid bedrock; the argument being that it was too dangerous for Formula One cars. The British teams boycotted the race, so Ferrari had no competition. American Phil Hill took victory, in what was the last victory for a front-engined Formula One car. 1961 saw a return to the combined circuit, but it

812-464: A crowd of people standing on it. Von Trips was thrown out of his car and was killed, as were 14 spectators. Clark survived but was hounded by Italian police for months after the incident. Hill won the race and the championship by one point. The race was not stopped, allegedly to assist rescue work for the injured. 1962 saw a return to the road circuit only and the banking was never used again for Formula One. It still stands, but in decrepit condition for

928-509: A decayed state in the years since the last race, escaping demolition in the 1990s. It is used once a year for the Monza Rally, which served part of the 2021 World Rally Championship , which was the first FIA championship event since 1969. The banked oval was used several times for record breaking until the late 1960s, although the severe bumping was a major suspension and tyre test for the production cars attempting endurance records, such as

1044-591: A driver up for an overtaking move into Variante Ascari . The downhill straight down to Variante Ascari is very bumpy under the bridge. Variante Ascari is a very tricky sequence of corners and is key to the lap time. The final challenge is the Curva Parabolica Alboreto : approaching at 335 km/h (208 mph) in eighth gear, cars quickly dance around the corner, apexing in sixth gear at 229 km/h (142 mph) and exiting in sixth gear at 285 km/h (177 mph), accelerating onto

1160-431: A huge accident at the second Lesmo Curve which also took out Italian Michele Alboreto. Watson was uninjured in his carbon-fibre McLaren. 1982 was won by Prost's teammate René Arnoux; and Prost also won the exciting 1985 event, this time driving a McLaren. Prost's championship rivals Alboreto (now driving a Ferrari) and Finn Keke Rosberg in a Williams both retired. 1988 saw a memorable win; as McLaren had won every race up to

1276-530: A largely woodland setting, where the famous Royal Villa of Monza is also located. The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza was completed in 1922 and was just the third permanent autodrome in the world at that time; Brooklands in England and Indianapolis in the United States were the two others. European motor racing pioneers Vincenzo Lancia and Felice Nazzaro laid the last two bricks at Monza. The circuit

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1392-577: A long time before being restored in the early 2010s; the last time it was used was in 1969 for the 1000 kilometre sports car race that year. Briton Graham Hill won the race, and won the Drivers' Championship in South Africa soon afterward. 1963 saw an attempted use of the extremely fast full circuit again, and the drivers ran the course during Friday practice but the concrete banking was so rough and bumpy that cars were being mechanically torn apart. It

1508-402: A loose wheel from German Heinz-Harald Frentzen 's Jordan. 33-year-old Paolo Gislimberti was given a heart massage at the scene, but later died from his injuries. On a more positive note, the decade also started off with a romp of Ferrari victories, winning in 2000 and 2002–2004. After winning the 2006 Italian Grand Prix , Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula 1 racing at

1624-427: A mistake at the Parabolica and Stewart was in command; this was all to the chagrin of team boss Tony Rudd . 1966 saw Italian Ludovico Scarfiotti win, and no other Italian has won the race since. 1967 was to be a race of interest and was to produce the first of three close finishes on the fast Monza circuit over the next four years. Surtees, now driving for Honda, battled with Australian Jack Brabham, and Surtees won

1740-407: A new corner, the Parabolica, was built right before the pits. Extra track used for a short course was eliminated. The biggest change was the construction of the new Monza banking. Built on top of where the almost flat, narrow original banking was, these huge concrete bankings, called the sopraelevata curves, were built in the same shape as the original banking had been. The only significant difference

1856-487: A new lap record of 1:41.745 and his speed was captured at more than 330 km/h (210 mph). In late 2016, work was planned on a new first bend, which would have bypassed the first chicane and the Curva Grande. Drivers were to go through a fast right hand kink and into a new, faster chicane. Work was planned for to be completed by 2017 in hopes of a renewed contract for Formula 1. Gravel would have also returned to

1972-469: A racing facility just outside the northern city of Milan , Italy's second largest city in its largest metropolitan area, its economic capital and Alfa Romeo's home. The circuit is specifically located in its namesake suburban town , which was built in 1922 in time for that year's race, and has been the location for most of the races over the years. Monza was built in the Parco di Monza , a public city park with

2088-531: A straight on a motor racing circuit to 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). Some tracks, such as the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi , feature optional chicanes. Faster cars will take the chicane, but slower cars (such as amateur club racers) may avoid the chicane because they are not capable of reaching equally high speeds on the straights. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has one at Europcar, which became

2204-410: Is blind, entered at 273 km/h (170 mph) in sixth gear, apexing at 217 km/h (135 mph), and has a slight banking. The second is a seventh gear entry at 278 km/h (173 mph), apexing in fifth gear at 203.5 km/h (126.4 mph), and it is very important that all the kerb is used. A mistake at one of these corners will result in a spin into the gravel, while good exits can set

2320-470: Is just under the bridge. The kerbs are brutal and it is very easy for a car to become unbalanced and a driver to lose control, as Kimi Räikkönen did in 2005. This chicane is probably the best overtaking chance on the lap, as it is the only one with the "slow corner, long straight, slow corner"; one of the characteristics of modern circuits. The Curve di Lesmo are two corners that are not as fast as they used to be, but are still challenging corners. The first

2436-542: Is sometimes used at the entrances of parks to impede bicycle , car, mobility scooter, and wheelchair access. Autodromo Nazionale Monza The Monza Circuit ( Italian : Autodromo Nazionale di Monza ; lit.   ' Monza National Racetrack ' ) is a 5.793 km (3.600 mi) race track near the city of Monza , north of Milan , in Italy. Built in 1922, it was the world's third purpose-built motor racing circuit after Brooklands and Indianapolis and

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2552-610: Is the scene of many first-lap accidents. Higher kerbs were installed at the first two chicanes in 2009 to prevent cutting. Good traction out of the first corner is imperative for a quick lap. Conservation of speed through the first chicane is made possible by driving the straightest line, as a small mistake here can result in a lot of time being lost through the Curva Grande down to the Variante della Roggia chicane in eighth gear, at 330 km/h (210 mph). The braking point

2668-490: The 2006 Italian Grand Prix or Nico Rosberg in the 2015 Italian Grand Prix . Drivers are on full throttle for most of the lap due to its long straights and fast corners, and is usually the scenario in which the open-wheeled Formula One cars show the raw speed of which they are capable: 372 km/h (231 mph) during the mid-2000s V10 engine formula, although in 2012 with the 2.4L V8 engines , top speeds in Formula One rarely reached over 340 km/h (210 mph);

2784-639: The Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup , International GT Open and Euroformula Open Championship , as well as various local championships such as the TCR Italian Series , Italian GT Championship , Porsche Carrera Cup Italia and Italian F4 Championship , as well as the Monza Rally Show . In 2020, Monza hosted the 2020 World Rally Championship final round, ACI Rally Monza , with the circuit hosting 10 of

2900-539: The Ford Corsair GT which in 1964 captured 13 records. Both car and Grand Prix motorcycle racing were regular attractions at Monza. These races involved drivers constantly slipstreaming competing cars, which produced several close finishes, such as in 1967 , 1969 , and 1971 . As the speed of the machines increased, two chicanes were added in 1972 to reduce racing speeds – the Variante del Rettifilo at

3016-776: The Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix ), having been held since 1921. Since 2013, it has been the Grand Prix held the most times, with 94 editions as of 2024 . It is one of the two Grands Prix (along with the British ) which has run as an event of the Formula One World Championship Grands Prix every season, continuously since the championship was introduced in 1950. Every Formula One Italian Grand Prix in

3132-539: The Variante Ascari and the Curva Alboreto (formerly Curva Parabolica ). The high speed curve, Curva Grande, is located after the Variante del Rettifilo which is located at the end of the front straight or Rettifilo Tribune , and is usually taken flat out by Formula One cars. In addition to Formula One, the circuit previously hosted the 1,000 km Monza , an endurance sports car race held as part of

3248-561: The Vialone was remade in 1974, the other, Curva Grande in 1976, and a third also added in 1976 before the Lesmo , with extended run-off areas. The Grand Prix lap after these alterations was increased to 5.800 km (3.604 mi) long. With technology still increasing vehicle speeds the track was modified again in 1979 with added safety measures such as new kerbs, extended run-off areas and tyre-barriers to improve safety for drivers off

3364-675: The World Sportscar Championship and the Le Mans Series . Monza also featured the unique Race of Two Worlds events, which attempted to run Formula One and USAC National Championship cars against each other. The racetrack also previously held rounds of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing ( Italian motorcycle Grand Prix ), WTCC , TCR International Series , Superbike World Championship , Formula Renault 3.5 Series and Auto GP . Monza currently hosts rounds of

3480-483: The 1.6L turbocharged hybrid V6 engine , reduced- downforce formula of 2014 displayed top speeds of up to 360 km/h (220 mph). The circuit is generally flat, but has a gradual gradient from the second Lesmos to the Variante Ascari. Due to the low aerodynamic profile needed, with its resulting low downforce , the grip is very low; understeer is a more serious issue than at other circuits; however,

3596-522: The 16 rally stages. Monza also hosts cycling and running events, most notably the Monza 12h Cycling Marathon and Monza 21 Half Marathon. The venue was also selected by Nike scientists for the Breaking2 event, where three runners attempted to break the 2-hour barrier for the marathon . Eliud Kipchoge ran 2:00:25. A very fast circuit, Monza has been the site of many fatal accidents , especially in

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3712-717: The F1 calendar to ensure the lowest level of drag on the straights. There are only 6 corner complexes at Monza: the first two chicanes, the two Lesmos , the Ascari complex and the Parabolica . Thus cars are set up for maximum performance on the straights. Cars approach the first corner at 340 km/h (210 mph) in eighth gear, and brake at about 120 m (130 yd) before the first chicane—the Variante del Rettifilo —entering at 86 km/h (53 mph) in second gear, and exiting at 72 km/h (45 mph) in second gear. This

3828-539: The Finn, false to temperament, went behind a few bushes in the circuit and broke down crying. 2000 saw further changes to the circuit, which have stayed since; the Variante Rettifilo was made into a two corner sequence instead of a three corner sequence. The race that year started off tragically, as an accident during the start at the Variante della Roggia resulted in a marshal being struck in the head and chest by

3944-423: The Formula One championship in the current season. A pink background indicates an event which was not part of any championship. A yellow background indicates an event which was part of the pre-war European Grand Prix Championship. A green background indicates an event which was part of the pre-war World Manufacturers' Championship. Manufacturers in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in

4060-551: The Indianapolis Speedway oval in the United States. 1956 saw an exciting race, with championship contenders Fangio, Briton Peter Collins (both in Ferraris) and Frenchman Jean Behra in a Maserati fight over the win. Stirling Moss was already out of championship contention; and Fangio retired with a broken steering arm. The Ferrari team called for Italian Luigi Musso to hand his car over to Fangio. Musso ignored

4176-621: The Italian GP was won by Brazilian Nelson Piquet after the two turbo Renaults of Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux retired. The Italian Grand Prix returned to Monza for 1981, and it has stayed there ever since. The Imola circuit was not to leave Formula One, it hosted the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 to 2006. The 1981 Italian Grand Prix was won by rising star Alain Prost , and that race saw Briton John Watson have

4292-472: The Italian Grand Prix was held at a street circuit in Livorno. 1938 saw a return to Monza, which was won by Nuvolari driving a mid-engined Auto Union; just after the race renovation works began but in 1939 World War II broke out and the Italian Grand Prix did not return until 1947. 1947 saw the Italian Grand Prix being held at a fairgrounds park in the city of Milan's district of Portello , and this race

4408-556: The Italian Grand Prix was not held again until 1931; in the meantime the 1930 Monza Grand Prix was held on the high speed ring only, while in 1930 Vincenzo Florio introduced the Florio Circuit. The 1933 Italian Grand Prix was held on the original complete layout but it was marred by the deaths of three drivers ( Giuseppe Campari , Baconin Borzacchini and Stanisław Czaykowski ) in the supporting Monza Grand Prix held on

4524-538: The Italian Grand Prix; Prost had gone out with engine problems and his teammate Ayrton Senna had crashed into a backmarker with two laps to go- and Austrian Gerhard Berger in a Ferrari took victory, followed by Alboreto to make it a Ferrari 1–2. This was particularly memorable because Enzo Ferrari had died a month before this event. 1989 saw Prost win after the Honda engine in Senna's McLaren expired; but Senna took victory

4640-578: The Milan Automobile Club – which created the Società Incremento Automobilismo e Sport (SIAS) (English: Motoring and Sport Encouragement Company ) to run the track. The initial form was a 3.4 square kilometres (1.31 sq mi) site with 10.000 km (6.214 mi) of macadamised road – comprising a 4.490 km (2.790 mi) loop track, and a 5.500 km (3.418 mi) road track. The track

4756-479: The Nürburgring; finished fourth while Peterson won. 1977 saw Italian-American Mario Andretti win in a Lotus; but the next year's race was to add another page of tragedy to Monza's history. Peterson had re-joined Lotus at the beginning of the 1978 season and had challenged his teammate Andretti all the way. Peterson had crashed his car in practice, and had to use Andretti's spare car, not a comfortable fit for

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4872-557: The San Marino Grand Prix in 1985 and 1990 respectively, so they won on home soil but not at Monza. Both Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have won the Italian Grand Prix five times and Nelson Piquet has won it four times. Ferrari have won their home Grand Prix 20 times, the most recent being Charles Leclerc in 2024 . The 2023 Italian Grand Prix set the record for the duration of the shortest race, not counting prematurly ended races, running for 1:13:41.143, breaking

4988-458: The Tamburello chicane at Imola , which was placed in 1995 after Ayrton Senna's death at the original corner. At Le Mans in 1990, two chicanes were placed on the 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) Mulsanne Straight where Group C prototypes had previously achieved speeds of 400 kilometres per hour (250 mph) in order to conform to new international regulations limiting the maximum length of

5104-748: The World Championship era has been held at Monza except in 1980 , when it was held at Imola . The Italian Grand Prix counted toward the World Manufacturers' Championship from 1925 to 1928 and toward the European Championship from 1931 to 1932 and from 1935 to 1938. It was additionally designated the European Grand Prix seven times between 1923 and 1967, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one Grand Prix race in Europe. Four editions before

5220-478: The World Championship were held in places other than Monza: Montichiari ( 1921 ), Livorno ( 1937 ), Milan ( 1947 ) and Turin ( 1948 ). The event is due to take place at the Monza Circuit until at least 2031. The first Italian Grand Prix took place on 4 September 1921 at a 10.7-mile (17.3 km) circuit near Montichiari . However, the race is more closely associated with the course at Monza ,

5336-595: The bumpy Monza surface, but the Maseratis' steering was badly affected by the larger-than-usual tyre size, leading to the Modena -based team withdrawal. Ecurie Ecosse's three Jaguar D-type sports cars used their Le Mans -specification tyres with no ill-effects, but since they raced at less than their practice speeds to conserve their tyres, they were completely outpaced. Two heats in 1957 were won by Jimmy Bryan in his Kuzma - Offenhauser Dean Van Lines Special , and

5452-452: The burning Lotus. Peterson suffered severe leg injuries, and he died from embolism complications a day later. With Peterson's retirement from the race, Andretti won the Drivers' Championship. The race itself was an interesting one; during the parade lap South African Jody Scheckter lost a wheel from his Wolf at the second Lesmo curve and hit an Armco barrier right next to the track. Andretti, Hunt, Lauda, Fittipaldi and Reutemann went to inspect

5568-471: The burning fuel sprayed onto Czaykowski. Blinded by the smoke and flames on him, he went up and flew off the banking- at the same spot where Campari and Borzacchini had crashed. The Polish driver, unable to put out the flames on his body which was fuelled by the fuel from his wrecked Bugatti, then burned to death. Frenchman Marcel Lehoux in a Bugatti was declared the winner of the shortened event. Enzo Ferrari , who had been close to Campari and Borzacchini;

5684-403: The car, swerved left, cleared a 15-foot wide and 10-foot deep ditch and ploughed into the unprotected grandstand opposite the pits, killing himself and 27 spectators, and injuring another 26. It was the worst accident in motor racing history and remained so until the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans . The Italian Grand Prix went on a three-year hiatus (but the alternative non-championship Monza Grand Prix

5800-548: The central straight, the south curve (also interrupted by a chicane) and the main straight; finally a 180 ° hairpin turned back to the finish line. This configuration was considered too slow and since the following year Florio circuit (with five chicanes) was used. These races were at a time when Mercedes and Auto Union became involved in motor racing; the German Silver Arrows won all of these races; with superstar Rudolf Caracciola winning in 1934 and in 1937 when

5916-488: The championship at the Swiss Grand Prix. 1954 turned out to be an interesting race; as up-and-comer Stirling Moss in a Maserati passed both Fangio's Mercedes and Ascari's Ferrari. The furious pace saw the retirement of Moss and Ascari and Fangio went on to win while Moss pushed his Maserati 250F over the line. After the 1954 running, work began on entirely revamping the circuit. New facilities were built and

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6032-566: The current circuit layout is 1:21.046, set by Rubens Barrichello during the 2004 Italian Grand Prix . As of October 2024, the fastest official race lap records of Autodromo Nazionale di Monza are listed as: Italian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix ( Italian : Gran Premio d'Italia ) is the fifth oldest national motor racing Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix , the United States Grand Prix ,

6148-490: The current season. A pink background indicates an event which was not part of any championship. A yellow background indicates an event which was part of the pre-war European Grand Prix Championship. A green background indicates an event which was part of the pre-war World Manufacturers' Championship. * Between 1997 and 2005 built by Ilmor , funded by Mercedes ** Built by Cosworth , funded by Ford *** Built by Porsche A pink background indicates an event which

6264-417: The curves, with the track layout changing the next year to incorporate permanent chicanes before the banked curves – extending the track length by 100 m (110 yd). The combined circuit held its last major race in 1969 with the 1000 km of Monza, the event moving solely to the road circuit the next year; the banking has never been used again for any major races. The banking still exists, albeit in

6380-420: The damage, and they refused to start until it had been repaired; and it was repaired in time; although the race started well after it was supposed to. The cars were shown the green light while the back half of the field was still in motion (this often happened at Monza and it had happened during the first start); and due to the visible excitement of the start official Andretti and Canadian Gilles Villeneuve jumped

6496-497: The deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in 1994 at the Imola circuit , the three main long curves were "squeezed" in order to install larger gravel traps, shortening the lap to 5.770 km (3.585 mi). In 1997 the stands were reworked to expand capacity to 51,000. In 2000 , the chicane on the main straight was altered, changing from a double left-right chicane to a single right-left chicane in an attempt to reduce

6612-419: The disastrous 1933 race, something had to be done to Monza. In 1934 a short version of Florio Circuit (introduced in 1930 for Monza Grand Prix) was used: the drivers had to start from the main straight but taking the south curve of the high speed ring (interrupted by a double chicane) in the opposite direction compared to the usual one; then, through the connection introduced a few years before by Florio, they took

6728-596: The drivers' title. Regazzoni took victory, followed by Fittipaldi and Lauda, who won his first drivers' title and Ferrari also won the Constructors' Championship at the same event. 1976 saw further changes to Monza's layout. Two chicanes, called Variante Rettifilo were installed just before the Curva Grande, and another chicane, the Variante della Roggia, was installed just before the Lesmo bends. Lauda, who had come back to racing only six weeks after his horrendous crash at

6844-452: The early years of the Formula One world championship, and has claimed the lives of 52 drivers and 35 spectators. Track modifications have continuously occurred, to improve spectator safety and reduce curve speeds, but it is still criticised by the current drivers for its lack of run-off areas , most notoriously at the chicane that cuts the Variante della Roggia . The first track was built from May to July 1922 by 3,500 workers, financed by

6960-405: The end of the 2006 season. Kimi Räikkönen replaced him at Ferrari from the start of the 2007 season. At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix , Sebastian Vettel became the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Aged 21 years and 74 days, Vettel broke the record set by Fernando Alonso at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix by 317 days as he won in wet conditions at Monza. Vettel led for

7076-455: The end of the start/finish straight. They experience a maximum g-force of 4.50 during deceleration, and the track has many dramatic high to low speed transitions. Lewis Hamilton recorded the fastest pole position lap at Monza in 2020 , when he lapped in 1:18.887 at an average speed of 264.362 km/h (164.267 mph) – the fastest average lap speed recorded in qualifying for a World Championship event. The official race lap record for

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7192-549: The fastest Formula One race ever at that point in time. It was really just a bunch of straights and fast corners and F1 cars had become increasingly advanced and much faster, and the drivers were constantly slipstreaming each other around the circuit. A small chicane was put at the end of the pit straight and another one at the Vialone curve; Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi won that race and his first Drivers' Championship at only 25 years of age. His chief rival Jackie Stewart went out at

7308-435: The few alterations it has received, and is currently the fastest track on the Formula One calendar and has been so since 1991. Monza consists of very long straights and tight chicanes, putting a premium on good braking stability and traction. The 5.793 km (3.600 mi) circuit is very hard on engines; Formula 1 engines are at full throttle for nearly 80% of the lap, with engine failures common, notably Fernando Alonso in

7424-497: The first American to win a Formula One race. The combined circuit was not used for 3 years because during the 1956 event the Ferraris and Maseratis were suffering mechanically on the banking, and the combined circuit was used again in 1960 because Ferrari's main strength that year was straight-line speed and the organizers wanted to maximise this advantage. The 1961 race saw the death of Wolfgang von Trips and fifteen spectators when

7540-467: The following year. 1991 saw a battle between Senna and the two Williams drivers of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese . Mansell won, Senna finished 2nd and Patrese went out with gearbox problems. Senna won again in 1992, and 1993 saw Williams drivers Alain Prost and Damon Hill battle hard, and while leading, Prost's engine failed and Hill went on to take victory. In response to the Imola tragedies in 1994,

7656-449: The former deciding to defect from Ferrari's team to Maserati, became hardened by this tragedy. Today, racing historians conclude that the events of this race marked a watershed, notably for Enzo Ferrari. It was the end to the joyful era of racing and the beginning of a harsher new age. Safety in those days was completely non-existent. The circuit's condition was virtually identical of that to an ordinary town and country road, except instead of

7772-464: The frequent accidents at the starts due to the conformation of the braking area, although it is still deemed unsafe in terms of motorcycle racing. The second chicane was also re-profiled. In the Formula 1 Grand Prix of the same year , the first to use these new chicanes, a fire marshal, Paolo Gislimberti, was killed by flying debris after a big pileup at the second chicane. In 2007, the run-off area at

7888-677: The last by Troy Ruttman in the Watson - Offenhauser John Zink Special . In 1958 Jaguar , Ferrari and Maserati teams appeared alongside the Indy roadsters, but once again the American cars dominated the event and Jim Rathmann won the three races in a Watson - Offenhauser car. Formula One used the 10.000 km (6.214 mi) high speed track in the 1955 , 1956 , 1960 and 1961 Grands Prix. Stirling Moss and Phil Hill both won twice in this period, with Hill's win at Monza making him

8004-401: The lead all race. On the last lap, Peterson got the inside line for the Parabolica, but Gethin got in front going alongside Peterson through the long right-hand corner, and beat Peterson to the checkered flag by the slimmest of margins; one-one hundredth of a second. Cevert and Hailwood finished within two-tenths and Ganley was half a second behind. 1972 saw changes to Monza. The 1971 race was

8120-546: The left and spun multiple times. Rindt died not because of the impact but because he had not properly secured his seat belts and the buckle had slit his throat. Rindt became the only posthumous World Champion, after Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx failed to overhaul Rindt. Ickx's teammate Clay Regazzoni won the race, which saw 28 lead changes. 1971 was to see the third close finish in four years. Briton Peter Gethin , Swede Ronnie Peterson , Frenchman François Cevert , Briton Mike Hailwood and New Zealander Howden Ganley battled for

8236-418: The line. Stewart came out on top and beat Rindt by eight-hundredths of a second. The four drivers were all within two-tenths of a second of each other. With this win, Stewart won his first of three championships. 1970 saw Rindt's fatal crash during qualifying at the wheel of his rear wing-less Lotus; his car suffered brake shaft failure, veered off the track, hit and went under the improperly-secured guardrail on

8352-437: The main start/finish straight. A good exit and slipstream off a fellow driver along the main straight can produce an overtaking opportunity under heavy braking into Variante del Rettifilo ; however, it is difficult to follow a leading car closely through the Parabolica as the tow will reduce downforce and cornering speed. The maximum speed recorded in a 2024 Formula One car was 357.1 km/h (221.9 mph), established at

8468-412: The majority of the Grand Prix and crossed the finish line 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen . Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest pole sitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages. His win also gave him the record of youngest podium-finisher. Vettel also won in 2011, after a spectacular pass at the Curva Grande, passing Fernando Alonso on

8584-511: The middle of the start/finish straight, and the Variante Ascari . This resulted in a new circuit length of 5.755 km (3.576 mi). Grand Prix motorcycles continued to use the un-slowed road track until two serious accidents resulted in five deaths, including Renzo Pasolini and Jarno Saarinen , in 1973, and motorcycle racing did not return to Monza until 1981. The 1972 chicanes were soon seen to be ineffective at slowing cars;

8700-416: The new Formula One Championship being established. The race and the first championship was won by Giuseppe "Nino" Farina , driving a supercharged Alfa Romeo 158 . 1951 saw Ascari win again, after the competitive Alfas of Farina and Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio ran into engine problems. 1952 saw Ascari complete his domination of that season. 1953 Fangio won in a Maserati; although Ascari had already won

8816-530: The oldest in mainland Europe . The circuit's biggest event is the Italian Grand Prix . With the exception of the 1980 running when the track was closed while undergoing refurbishment, the race has been hosted there since 1949 . The circuit is also known as "The Temple of Speed" due to its long straights and high-speed corners. Built in the Royal Villa of Monza park in a woodland setting,

8932-412: The opposite effect, oversteer , is also present in the second sector, requiring the use of a very distinctive opposite lock technique. Since both maximum power and minimal drag are keys for speed on the straights, only competitors with enough power or aerodynamic efficiency at their disposal are able to challenge for the top places. Formula One cars are set up with one of the smallest wing angles on

9048-536: The order so Collins came in and handed his car and his championship chances to Fangio. Behra had retired early with a magneto problem in his own car and took over his teammate Umberto Maglioli 's car; but he retired that car, too. Musso ended up leading after Moss ran out of fuel coming through Vialone. Moss was able to refuel his car and storm off after Musso and eventually the Italian retired with steering problems, and Moss, with Fangio catching him up fast, stormed round

9164-415: The outside of the big, long curve. Uncertainty grew over the fact that Monza would continue to host the race as Rome had signed a deal to host Formula One from 2012. On 18 March 2010 however, Bernie Ecclestone and the Monza track managers signed a deal which assured the race being held there until at least 2016. The 2020 Italian Grand Prix saw the fastest ever qualifying lap, set by Lewis Hamilton in

9280-632: The oval at the end of June in 1957 and 1958, with three 63 lap 267.67 kilometres (166.32 mi) heat races each year, races which colloquially became known as the Monzanapolis series. Concerns were raised among the European drivers that flat-out racing on the banking would be too dangerous, so ultimately only Ecurie Ecosse and Maserati represented European racing at the first running. The American teams had brought special Firestone tyres with them, reinforced to withstand high-speed running on

9396-424: The passage of tractor-trailers , which often get stuck further up the road. A pedestrian chicane is a kind of permanent fence used at a railway crossing to slow pedestrians down and to force them to observe both directions before crossing the railway tracks . While passing the chicane, one has to turn to the left and to the right, increasing the probability of seeing an approaching train. A similar arrangement

9512-500: The previous record belonging to the 2003 Italian Grand Prix , which ran for 1:14:19.838. Drivers in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season. A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship. A yellow background indicates an event which was part of the pre- war European Championship. Teams in bold are competing in

9628-430: The race by two-tenths of a second; and Clark, who had problems at the beginning of the race and lost a whole lap, stormed around the circuit, equalled his pole position time and unlapped himself to take the lead- but his fuel pump broke and he coasted over the line to finish third. 1969 saw four drivers; Stewart, Austrian Jochen Rindt , Frenchman Jean-Pierre Beltoise and New Zealander Bruce McLaren battle right down to

9744-453: The road circuit was used, which is ultimately what happened. Future Grands Prix were held on the shorter road circuit, with the banking appearing one last time in the film Grand Prix . New safety walls, rails and fences were added before the next race and the refuelling area was moved further from the track. Chicanes were added before both bankings in 1966, and another fatality in the 1968 1000 km Monza race led to run-off areas added to

9860-742: The run-off area at the Parabolica bend. However, plans for the track's change were suspended due to the track being in the historic Monza Park . Ahead of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix , the Monza Circuit underwent significant changes. This forced WEC to abandon the 6 Hours of Monza , moving it to the Imola Circuit . In addition to facility improvements, changes included a resurfacing of the entire track. Monza, throughout its long and storied history has been known for its high-speed, simplistic nature (compared to "harder" circuits such as Singapore or Monaco , which are tight, unforgiving street circuits with lots of corners) thanks to its 1920s design and

9976-500: The same day - which became known as the "Black Day of Monza" - over the shorter oval circuit and the Grand Prix layout was changed: in 1934 a short circuit with two lanes of the straight line joined by a hairpin, Curva Sud of the banking (with a double chicane) driven in the opposite direction than usual, the "Florio link" and the Curva Sud (with a small chicane). This configuration was considered too slow and in 1935 Florio Circuit

10092-410: The second Lesmo curve was slowed down but the race risked being canceled due to the bureaucratic and environmental difficulties of modifying the track. Other changes were made in 1995 at Curva Grande , Variante della Roggia and both Lesmo Corners, which were anticipated for to create wider runoff areas. 1996 saw Michael Schumacher win for Ferrari, and 1999 saw championship leader Mika Hakkinen crash and

10208-490: The second chicane was changed from gravel to asphalt. The length of the track in its current configuration is 5.793 km (3.600 mi). At the 2010 Monza Superbike World Championship round , Italian rider Max Biaggi set the fastest ever motorcycle lap of Monza when he rode his Aprilia RSV4 1000 F to pole position in a time of 1:42.121. In the Superpole qualification for the 2011 race, he improved on this lap time, for

10324-453: The site has three tracks – the 5.793 km (3.600 mi) Grand Prix track, the 2.405 km (1.494 mi) Junior track, and a 4.250 km (2.641 mi) high speed oval track with steep bankings, which was left unused for decades and had been decaying until it was restored in the 2010s. The major features of the main Grand Prix track include the Curva Grande , the Curva di Lesmo ,

10440-450: The source of controversy when it was instituted for MotoGP after a fatal crash. Chicanes can make slipstreaming less potent and break up pelotons during motor races. The term is used in other types of racing, such as bobsleigh , to indicate a similar shift in the course or track. A slower driver or vehicle that delays competitors is sometimes disparaged as a mobile chicane or moving chicane . In some cases they may not move out of

10556-523: The south banking that had come from a Duesenberg, driven by Count Carlo Felice Trossi , and Giuseppe Campari in a Ferrari-entered Alfa Romeo and his protege Baconin Borzacchini in a Maserati were already battling ferociously; and Borzacchini and Campari went through the south banking on the first lap, wheel to wheel. Borzacchini went through the oily patch, lost control, spun wildly and the Maserati then overturned and violently flipped multiple times, and by

10672-597: The speed of traffic. Drivers are expected to reduce speed to negotiate the lateral displacement in the vehicle path. There are several variations of traffic-calming chicanes, but they generally fall into one of two broad categories: Limited crash data for chicane schemes indicate changes in injury crashes (range from −54% to +32%) and crash severity. Chicanes can also be used to prevent access to certain vehicles. The Vermont Agency of Transportation has considered adding chicanes to Route 108 in Stowe and Cambridge to prevent

10788-481: The start and were penalised a minute; Lauda went on to take victory in his Alfa-powered Brabham in a shortened race distance; it was getting dark by the time the checkered flag was shown to the Austrian driver. 1979 saw changes to Monza, run off areas were added to the Curva Grande and Lesmo corners and the track was upgraded. Scheckter, now driving for Ferrari, won the race and the Drivers' Championship. In 1979, it

10904-429: The start with a broken gearbox. In 1973 , Stewart punctured a tire early in the race and went into the pits to have it changed; he came out in 20th place and finished fourth in the race while Fittipaldi finished second; this was enough for Stewart to win his third and final Drivers' Championship. 1974 saw further changes with the Vialone chicane changed and renamed Variante Ascari, which was the place where Alberto Ascari

11020-489: The surface being made of dirt and/or tarmac, it was made of tarmac, concrete and/or bricks. Spectators often stood very close to or even next to the track and they had no protection of any kind other than common sense. What was particularly tragic about the 41-year old Campari's death was that he had announced his retirement at the French Grand Prix two months earlier, to focus on his opera singing exploits. After

11136-478: The tall Swede, in contrast to the diminutive American. As the race started, there was a huge, fiery multi-car pile-up on the approach to the first corner. One of the victims was Peterson; his car slammed head-on into the Armco barriers and had caught fire. Instead of the ill-equipped marshals, Briton James Hunt , with the help of Frenchman Patrick Depailler and Regazzoni ran towards Peterson's aid and pulled him out of

11252-442: The time the wrecked car came to a stop, Borzacchini was pinned underneath and was being crushed by his car, not having been thrown out. And while Borzacchini's Maserati had been crashing all over the track, Campari swerved to avoid him, and by doing this, his car went up and flew off the banking and crashed into trees situated right next to the track. Campari broke his neck and was killed instantly, and Borzacchini died later that day in

11368-455: The track to take victory. Fangio took second and his fourth Drivers' Championship. 1957 saw the organizers choose to use the road circuit only, as the rough, poorly constructed banking had caused problems for the Ferrari and Maserati cars the year before. Moss won again in a Vanwall, and Briton Tony Brooks won next year's race, and Moss won the 1959 event in a Cooper-Climax. 1960 , however

11484-455: The track was suspended until 1948 and parts of the circuit degraded due to the lack of maintenance and military use. Monza was renovated over a period of two months at the beginning of 1948 and a Grand Prix was held on 17 October 1948. In 1954, work began to entirely revamp the circuit, resulting in a 5.750 km (3.573 mi) course, and a new 4.250 km (2.641 mi) high-speed oval with banked sopraelevata curves (the southern one

11600-447: The track. The infrastructure was also improved, with pits able to accommodate 46 cars, and an upgraded paddock and scrutineering facilities. These changes encouraged world championship motorcycling to return in 1981, but further safety work was undertaken through the 1980s. Also in the 1980s the podium, paddock and pits complex, stands, and camp site were either rebuilt or improved. As motorsport became more safety conscious following

11716-480: The traditional timeframe of early September, disaster struck again. Three top drivers were killed during the course of the Monza Grand Prix , a Formula Libre race held over three heats and a final in the afternoon of 10 September, after the Italian Grand Prix itself had been held in the morning, on what became known as the "Black Day of Monza". During the second heat, there was a reported patch of oil on

11832-422: The war but never used yet. Monza's banking had been built over and only the road circuit was used, which had been modified slightly. The new long, fluid final corner was now two around 90-degree corners. 1949 saw Italian new-boy Alberto Ascari , son of the late 1924 Italian Grand Prix winner Antonio Ascari , win in his Ferrari; Enzo Ferrari was now building his own cars instead of running Alfa Romeos. 1950 saw

11948-422: The way quickly enough to allow competitors in higher positions (having completed more laps) past, despite repeated showings of blue flags . This can cost competitors valuable time and championship points. This same term, applied to traffic calming, can refer to the usage of portable devices to create a chicane configuration. Chicanes are a type of "horizontal deflection" used in traffic calming schemes to reduce

12064-406: Was 10 km (6.25 miles) long, with a flat banked section and a road circuit combined into one. It was fast, and always provided excitement. The 1923 race included one of Harry A. Miller 's rare European appearances with his single seat "American Miller 122" driven by Count Louis Zborowski of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame. Zborowski was killed at the following year's Grand Prix at Monza driving

12180-542: Was announced that the Autodromo Dino Ferrari, also known as Imola, would host the Italian Grand Prix for 1980 while Monza underwent a major upgrade, including building a new pit complex. The Imola circuit had been used for a non-championship event in 1979 and had hosted a variety of non-championship races since 1953; this circuit was closer to the Ferrari factory in Maranello. Imola's one-time running of

12296-528: Was feared that there would be no finishers for the race itself. Briton Bob Anderson's Lola crashed after losing a wheel on the banking, although he was not injured); the drivers then threatened to walk off unless they raced on the road circuit only, which is what happened. Jim Clark won the race in a Lotus. Ferrari driver John Surtees won in 1964 , and Briton Jackie Stewart won his first of 27 Grand Prix victories in 1965 , driving for BRM. Against team orders, he fought hard with his teammate Graham Hill, Hill made

12412-404: Was killed in 1955 testing a Ferrari sportscar. Like the year before, Peterson won and Fittipaldi finished second, now driving for McLaren. 1975 , however, was an event to remember. Ferrari, which had regrouped completely under the leadership of Luca di Montezemolo , reached the high point of its resurgence. The Ferrari camp was feeling relaxed while rising star and championship leader Niki Lauda

12528-483: Was leading the Drivers' Championship, and the team was leading the Constructors' Championship. Fittipaldi and Argentine Carlos Reutemann had to win in order to have a chance at staying in the championship chase. When the race started, Lauda's teammate Clay Regazzoni took the lead, with Lauda following; and Fittipaldi stormed round the circuit in an effort to catch the two Ferraris. Fittipaldi passed Lauda for second but this did not matter as Lauda only needed fifth to secure

12644-594: Was moved slightly north). The two circuits could be combined to re-create the former 10 kilometres (6.214 mi) long circuit, with cars running parallel on the main straight. The first Lesmo curve was modified to be made faster, and the track infrastructure and facilities were also updated and improved to better accommodate the teams and spectators. The Automobile Club of Italy held 500 mi (800 km) Race of Two Worlds exhibition competitions, intended to pit United States Auto Club IndyCars against European Formula One and sports cars. The races were held on

12760-400: Was not so straightforward. Ferrari with their front-engined cars, had lost out to the advanced mid-engined British cars. Seeing an opportunity, the Italian organizers decided to re-include the banking with the road circuit, making Monza even faster and more in favour to the powerful Ferraris. The British teams were unhappy as they cited the fragility of the banking, which was extremely rough, had

12876-400: Was officially opened on 3 September 1922, with the maiden race the second Italian Grand Prix held on 10 September 1922. In 1928, the most serious Italian racing accident to date ended in the death of driver Emilio Materassi and 27 spectators at that year's Italian Grand Prix . The accident led to further Grand Prix races' confinement to the high-speed loop until 1932. For these reasons

12992-403: Was run in 1929 and 1930) until the 1931 race , held in late May instead of the traditional early September, was won by Giuseppe Campari and Tazio Nuvolari , sharing an Alfa Romeo. The 1931 race was something of an endurance race; it took ten hours to complete. The great Nuvolari won again in a shortened 1932 race , this time held in early June. In 1933 , with the race being held this time at

13108-433: Was that the Curva Sud was moved slightly to the north. This course was combined with the road course for the 1955 event , which was won by Fangio and was the last race contested by a full-fledged Mercedes factory effort in Formula One until 2010. The 10 km Monza circuit was now so fast that F1 cars were averaging 135+ mph per lap- though rather unremarkable by today's standards, these average speeds were even faster than

13224-547: Was to see yet another tragedy. Two Ferrari drivers, Hill and German count Wolfgang von Trips , came into the race with a chance at winning the championship. Fighting for fourth place while Hill was leading and while von Trips approached the Parabolica, the Briton Jim Clark slightly moved over into the path of the German and the two collided. Von Trips crashed into an embankment next to the road and then went flying into

13340-495: Was used again, this time with four temporary chicanes and another one permanent (along the Curva Sud of the banking). In 1938 only the last one was used. There was major rebuilding in 1938–39, constructing new stands and entrances, resurfacing the track, removing the high speed ring and adding two new bends on the southern part of the circuit. The resulting layout gave a Grand Prix lap of 6.300 km (3.915 mi), in use until 1954. The outbreak of World War II meant racing at

13456-517: Was won by Italian Carlo Felice Trossi driving an Alfa Romeo. Italian Giovanni Bracco went off the road in his Delage and crashed into a group of spectators, killing five. This venue was never used again for racing, and 1948 saw it being held in Valentino Park , a public park in Turin . The 1949 race returned to Monza where it stayed for the next 30 years with the configuration ready before

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