Italian Grand Prix

Monza Track guide

Built in 1922, the circuit was 10 km (6.25 miles) in length and, at the time, was one of only three autodromes in the world. The huge banking and long straights gave birth to its iconic nickname: ‘The Temple of Speed’.

Located in Monza, Italy, just north of Milan, the event is one of the biggest on the F1 calendar and has hosted a round of the world championship every year bar 1980 (Imola hosted the Italian Grand Prix of that year) since its creation.

Although undergoing many changes since its early days, the circuit still has the feel of an old-school past, a throwback to racing history.

Iconic corners such as the Curva Grande, Curva di Lesmo, Variante Ascari and Curva Parabolica make up a legendary venue for moto racing.

The last changes made to the circuit were back in 2000 but the layout has stayed the same since.

Monza also boasts one of the more unique podiums in F1. The silver platform for the top three drivers extends out over the start/finish line on the main straight which plays host to one of the best podium ceremonies in F1.

Race history

In 2020, the Italian Grand Prix was an absolute classic. In a year which saw Ferrari struggle, the Italian fans still had something to cheer about as Alpha Tauri secured the victory. 

Favourite Lewis Hamilton was handed a penalty after he entered a closed pitlane. Soon after, Charles Leclerc had a huge crash which caused a red flag to give the marshalls time to repair the tyre wall and barrier. 

With Hamilton forced to take his penalty, Verstappen retired, Bottas and Albon struggling in the midfield, Gasly picked up the crumbs. He stayed ahead of Carlos Sainz in the final stages of the race to take his first win. Lance Stroll rounded off the podium. 

Rubens Barrichello's lap in 2004 with Ferrari still sits as the official lap record, his 1:21.046s unbeaten in races since.

In 2020, Lewis Hamilton recorded a 1:18.887 to set pole position in qualifying. 

When is the 2021 Italian Grand Prix?

The race weekend in Monza kicks off Friday, September 10th, with Free Practice 1 starting at 11:30am local time (10:30am BST, 5:30am EST). FP2 starts that afternoon at 3pm (2pm BST, 9am EST). On Saturday, FP3 starts at 12pm local time (11am BST, 6am EST), and qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix takes place at 3pm on Saturday (2pm BST, 8am EST).

The Italian Grand Prix will start at 3.00pm local time on Sunday, September 12th (2.00pm BST, 9.00am EST)