F1 Monza: Guide for an incredible italian Gp

In less than a month, the long-awaited Italian F1 weekend will take place. Monza is ready to host a sold-out event, as reported by this year’s organizers. But let’s take a closer look at the track the drivers will face.

Autodromo Nazionale Monza: The Temple of Speed

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is Italy’s most iconic and historically significant racing circuit, located within the Monza Park. It is the third oldest permanent racing circuit in the world, after Brooklands (UK) and Indianapolis (USA).

Built in 1922, Monza is the only track in the world that has hosted the Formula 1 Championship since its inception, and it is the historic home of the Italian Grand Prix, held here 90 times out of 95 editions (with the sole exception of 1980). It also holds the record for the most F1 Grands Prix hosted, with the 74th race held in 2024.

The fastest on the F1 calendar

Nicknamed the “Temple of Speed”, Monza is renowned for its long straights and high-speed corners. Since 1991, after changes to Silverstone, it has been considered the fastest track on the F1 calendar. The outright lap record was set by Lewis Hamilton during qualifying in 2020 with a time of 1:18.887, at an average speed of 264.362 km/h—the highest ever recorded in F1 history.

In addition to Formula 1, Monza has hosted:

• The Grand Prix of Nations in MotoGP (1949–1968)
• Special events, charity races, concerts, and even stages of the Giro d’Italia

How to face a lap of the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza

Monza circuit is an extremely technical track where a great mechanical setup is essential, and where the driver’s braking skills are crucial. Along the 5,793 meters of the Brianza track, there are four long straights where Formula 1 cars easily exceed 350 km/h. For this reason, it must be tackled with cars running very low downforce wings to reduce aerodynamic drag. This forces fuel and lubricant suppliers to develop specific solutions for the event, and in the Formula 1 World Championship, dedicated aerodynamic configurations are adopted for this unique track. Teams also work specifically for this race, bringing specially designed front noses and ultra-low downforce rear wings—resulting in a significant budget expenditure for this Grand Prix.

Prima variante ( variante del rettifilo)

Flying down the pit straight, with a heavy braking zone just after the 150-meter board: speeds drop from 350–360 km/h to only 70–80 km/h in two and a half seconds, shifting down to second gear. Here, it’s crucial not to lock the front right tire to avoid compromising the lap time. The drivers then tackle a very tight right-left chicane, aggressively clipping the curb on entry, letting the car flow through the middle, and finishing with a smooth, progressive exit towards the outside

Biassono Curve is a long, sweeping right-hander with a very large radius. Drivers approach it at full throttle from the Goodyear chicane, aiming to keep a clean and precise line despite the bumps in the asphalt at the middle of the corner.

Roggia Chicane: drivers reach speeds of 325 km/h before this fast left-right chicane after fully exiting Biassono. Braking just before the 100-meter board down to 2nd or 3rd gear, they try to stay as wide as possible on the right to maintain entry speed and set up a strong exit towards the two Lesmo corners. The chicane features high curbs and speed bumps inside the runoff area, which is fully paved, to prevent drivers from gaining an advantage by cutting the line excessively.”

1st Lesmo Curve: Approached on acceleration from the Roggia chicane, it’s a medium-speed right-hander taken in 4th gear with a blind exit. Drivers try to brake deeply into the corner to maintain speed through the middle section. Care must be taken not to miss the apex in the middle of the curve, as it’s easy to run wide into the gravel with understeer.

2nd Lesmo Curve: The second medium-speed right-hand corner. Braking happens just after the 50-meter board, then the car is allowed to run through the apex at speeds between 160–175 km/h, with drivers aiming for maximum acceleration onto the long straight leading to the Ascari chicane.

Ascari Chicane: Approached at nearly 340 km/h, braking is very late while trying to keep speed through the sharp first left turn taken in 4th gear. After braking, drivers quickly negotiate three mirror-image corners — left-right-left — which lead onto the back straight opposite the pits. In this section, cars with a good mechanical setup can gain up to 1 second. Exiting the chicane in 5th gear, drivers push the car to the limit of the outside curb marking the track edge and launch down the straight towards the Parabolica. Exit speed here is crucial for attempting overtakes.”**

Parabolica di Alboreto: On the straight leading to this very long right-hand corner with a variable radius, speeds reach 330–340 km/h. Braking is done just after the artificial grass on the left at the 100-meter board, downshifting to 4th gear at about 180–190 km/h. The apex is clipped on entry, and the final section is taken at full acceleration, drifting outward and onto the finish straight at already very high speeds.”

Here on the official Monza website you can find a lot of other information if you want to join the 2025 race https://www.monzanet.it/en/