Built in 1922, this high-speed sanctuary challenges drivers with blistering straights and legendary corners while thousands of Tifosi create F1’s most electrifying atmosphere amidst the Milanese parkland.
Formula 1 arrives at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, one of the most iconic races on the calendar. The circuit, known as the Temple of Speed, has been part of the World Championship since 1950 and combines a century old history with some of the highest speeds in the entire category. Inside the enormous park located north of Milan, the Italian circuit Autodromo Nazionale Monza brings together speed, history, tradition and a unique atmosphere, especially when the thousands of Ferrari fans fill the stands and turn the track into a true celebration of the Tifosi.
Monza was built in 1922 in just 110 days and became the third permanent circuit specifically built for racing, after Brooklands in England and Indianapolis in the United States. The original layout was around 10 kilometers and combined a road circuit with a high speed oval that included banked corners. That configuration allowed extraordinary speeds for the time and laid the foundations for the reputation that the circuit maintains to this day.
The circuit hosted its first Italian Grand Prix in 1922, although Formula 1 as a World Championship officially arrived in 1950. Monza was chosen as one of the venues for that inaugural season and there the last race of the first championship in history was held. Giuseppe Farina won with Alfa Romeo and became the first Formula 1 world champion.
Since then, Monza has been part of the calendar practically uninterrupted. The only exception occurred in 1980, when the circuit was closed for renovation work and the Italian Grand Prix was held at Imola. Since 1981, Monza has returned to its usual place and has never left the championship again.
The current Monza is 5.793 kilometers long and the race is run over 53 laps, covering a distance of 306.720 kilometers. The track is characterized by its long straights and heavy braking, with cars using full throttle for approximately 80% of a lap. On the main straight they can reach top speeds close to 350 km/h before reaching the first chicane, one of the most important overtaking points on the circuit.
Monza's configuration forces teams to seek a very particular balance. Unlike circuits like the Hungaroring or Zandvoort, where downforce has a huge weight, in Italy teams usually reduce it to achieve the highest possible speed on the straights. However, excessively low downforce can harm the car under braking and in corners, so finding the right setup is one of the great challenges of the weekend. Also this year with the regulation change, we will all be attentive to what happens with battery management, as drivers will have to manage well on these long straights.
The Rettifilo chicane, the Lesmo corners, the Ascari chicane and the Parabolica are some of the sections that built the circuit's identity. The braking is especially demanding and forces drivers to go from speeds above 300 km/h to much lower speeds in just a few seconds. That combination of speed and precision makes Monza one of the circuits where mistakes can be very costly.
The history of the Italian Grand Prix is full of unforgettable races. One of the most surprising occurred in 1967, when Jim Clark starred in one of the greatest displays of talent of his career. The Scot was a lap behind after suffering a puncture, but recovered the lost ground at an extraordinary pace and fought for victory again. He finally ran out of fuel on the last lap and John Surtees took the win.
Four years later, Monza was the scene of one of the closest finishes in Formula 1 history. In 1971, Peter Gethin won a race in which the top five drivers finished separated by just 0.61 seconds. The Briton beat Ronnie Peterson by just 0.010 seconds, a margin that is still part of the category's historical records.
There was also room for big surprises. In 2008, Sebastian Vettel took pole position with Toro Rosso and subsequently victory under heavy rain. At just 21 years old, the German became the youngest driver to win in Formula 1. Years later, in 2020, Pierre Gasly starred in another of Monza's big surprises by achieving his first victory in the category with AlphaTauri.
For Ferrari, Monza also has a meaning impossible to compare with any other circuit. Winning at home in front of the Tifosi is one of the greatest achievements a Scuderia driver can achieve. Charles Leclerc experienced it in 2019, when he achieved an unforgettable victory after resisting attacks from Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas throughout the race. Five years later, in 2024, the Monegasque won again at Monza and once again provoked a massive celebration from the red clad fans.
In terms of records, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton share the privilege of being the drivers with the most wins in the Italian Grand Prix, with five victories each. Hamilton also holds the record for poles at Monza, with seven. The official race lap record belongs to Rubens Barrichello, who in 2004 set a time of 1:21.046 with Ferrari.
Monza also has a special place in recent history for the speeds reached. In 2020, Lewis Hamilton took pole position with a time of 1:18.887, equivalent to an average speed of 264.362 km/h, one of the most impressive records in Formula 1 history.
The 2026 season now arrives at the Temple of Speed after a very particular race in Zandvoort, where Lando Norris once again achieved victory in the Dutch circuit's last participation in Formula 1 (he had also won in Hungary).
The world champion will seek to maintain McLaren's momentum, while Mercedes arrives once again as one of the great protagonists of the championship thanks to Kimi Antonelli's extraordinary performance. Ferrari, on the other hand, will face its home race with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton as two of its main hopes to conquer the podium again in front of the Tifosi.
Monza needs no introduction. It is one of the few circuits where history can be felt in every corner and where a victory has a meaning that surpasses championship points. The roar of the engines, the long straights, the braking at the limit and the stands dyed red once again turn the Italian Grand Prix into one of the most special events of the year, and this weekend we will be able to enjoy it.
