Italy · The Temple of Speed

Italian Grand Prix

Autodromo Nazionale di Monza

5.793 km

Lap length

53

Laps

11

Corners

2

DRS zones

Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza
Photo: Ank Kumar (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons
City
Monza
First GP
1950
Race distance
306.72 km
Lap record
1:21.046 · Rubens Barrichello (2004)
Round 13 Italian Grand Prix Italy

The fastest race of the year

Monza has the highest average speed of any track on the calendar — current F1 cars hit over 360 km/h on the start-finish straight, lap averages around 250 km/h. The layout has barely changed since 1950 (one of two original 1950 circuits, alongside Silverstone). The old high-speed banking from the 1950s and 60s is still partially visible on a walk through the surrounding park.

Why it matters

The home race of Ferrari. Italian fans — the Tifosi — fill the stands and the trees behind them. When a Ferrari leads, the noise is like nothing else in the sport. Pierre Gasly’s improbable 2020 win and Lando Norris’s 2024 victory both happened here.

What to watch for

  • Lesmo 1 (Turn 6) — the first proper test of car balance under load.
  • Curva Grande into Lesmo — the old layout’s high-speed sweep before the chicane.
  • The Tifosi invasion of the track at the end of the race — Italian fans break onto the circuit when the chequered flag falls. Tradition since the 50s.