Autodromo Nazionale Monza, La Pista Magica, The Temple of Speed. All names for one of Formula One’s most legendary circuits. The Italian Grand Prix is circled in red in the diaries of drivers and fans alike. That, of course, is for good reason. The circuit has long straights, crafty chicanes, lots of overtaking opportunities and, above all, lots of speed. We tell you everything you need to know about Monza: the corners, how to get to the circuit and what to expect from the Monza circuit in terms of atmosphere.
Directly to:
1) Circuit Monza
2) Names of corners Monza
3) Stands at Monza
4) Getting to Monza circuit
5) What to expect from circuit Monza
6) Weather forecast for Monza
7) Visit the Grand Prix in Monza
The Monza circuit is one of the oldest F1 circuits. Races have been organised on this circuit since 1922. A lot has changed on the circuit in the meantime, of course, but one thing has definitely stuck : Monza is all about speed. The length of the circuit is about 5.8 km long and 53 laps are driven during the GP. The drivers drive full throttle for no less than three-quarters of the circuit! The rest consists of chicanes that require heavy braking and, of course, the world-famous Parabolica corner. Ferrari cars always feel very much at home on the Monza circuit. They generally excel when it comes to power. Yet, the magical Italian Grand Prix remains exciting and unpredictable every year.
The Italian Grand Prix has a total of 11 corners. This number is quite low compared to other circuits in the F1 program. This has an obvious consequence: tremendous speed. On the other hand, those few turns can generally not be taken at high speed.
Right after the start there is a long stretch where the drivers can work their engines until the first chicane. In this Variante del Rettifilo the speed has to be reduced, but in the faint Curva Grande the drivers can go at full speed again. Then comes the chicane ‘Della Roggia’ before the drivers go through the Curve di Lesmo. Two right turns, the second of which can be driven at higher speed. After these turns, in fact, there follows a long straight to the third and final chicane. This Variante Ascari is the advance to the Curva Parabolica, the corner of Monza. A difficult corner where overtaking is even more difficult.
Below is a list of all corners of circuit Monza with name, number, direction and speed:
Name | Corner(s) | Direction | Speed |
---|---|---|---|
Variante del Rettifilo | 1 & 2 | Chicane right-left | Low |
Curva Grande | 3 | Right | High |
Variante della Roggia | 4 & 5 | Chicane left-right | Low |
Curve di Lesmo | 6 & 7 | Twice right | Low-average |
Variante Ascari | 8, 9 & 10 | Chicane left-right-left | Low-average |
Curva Parabolica | 11 | Right | Average |
In total, the capacity of the Monza circuit is about 120,000. All these people can take a seat in one of the grandstands or in the General Admission areas.
The stands at the GP are distributed along the parts of the circuit with the most action. For example, you will find grandstands along the long straight from the start and finish line. You will also find a variety of stands at the main corners. At all three chicanes there are grandstands, and these spots are also the best overtaking opportunities for the drivers. And of course you will also find good spots at the straight that is the introduction to the Parabolica. Here you can see how the drivers prepare for the last corner.
The names of the stands come from the part of the track where they are located. Big screens are located in several spots along the track so that, wherever you are on the circuit, you won’t miss anything from the rest of the race.
In addition, General Admission places can be found all around the track. These are standing areas around the track. The convenient thing about these kinds of places is that you can completely decide which part of the race you would like to see! Wanna see Charles Leclerc go through the Curva Grande ? Then just walk to the straight for the Variante Ascari.
The best way to get to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is via the main train station of the city of Monza. Shuttle buses run from here during the Italian Grand Prix, taking you directly to the track. It is not recommended to walk to the racetrack from the center of Monza, for it is too far away. The shuttle bus will drop you off in front of the circuit and pick you up there again at the end of the day.
Did you know that Monza is an hour’s drive from Milan? So it is quite possible to combine a city trip to Milan with the GP in Monza. Check here what you can do in this metropolis. It is difficult, and expensive, to take a cab from Milan. To get from Milan to the Monza circuit, the best option is to take the train. It takes approximately an hour from Milan to reach Monza’s main train station, from where the aforementioned shuttle buses will be waiting for you.
A race weekend at Monza is much more than just F1 drivers driving around the track. To get a better idea of what goes on at and around the legendary race track in Italy, we sent our Content Creative out to capture some images and, of course, share his experiences at Monza circuit.
According to him, the weekend had an atmosphere reminiscent of a festival. Outside of the race, there is plenty to do. As you would expect in Italy, there are plenty of food and drink stalls with all kinds of different food. There is a fan zone where you can buy merchandise of your favorite team and you can drive around the track in the simulator. Or how about doing a pit stop yourself. Are you faster than the best Formula 1 teams?
There will also be a DJ present to create an amazing atmosphere before and after the race. In short, there is plenty to do at the Italian Grand Prix!
The GP in Monza is usually held around September, i.e. in summer. Generally, summer in Italy means nice weather. But according to the well-known saying, nothing is as unpredictable as the weather. So check in advance what the weather will be, so you won’t have any surprises.
A visit to The Temple of Speed is a celebration for everyone. Whether you have been an F1 fan for years or the sport is still new to you, the Monza circuit is unique to experience! With P1 Travel, a visit to this classic circuit is closer than you think. Check out the possibilities and let the pre-race fun begin.
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