2018 Italian GP: Ferrari looking for first win at Monza since 2010. To this day, it is Formula 1’s superfast venue.

The story of the Italian Grand Prix is also the story of Monza, even if statistics show that the first race was held at Montichiari, with the Brianza track ready a year later in 1922 and that the 1980 race was run at Imola. The history of Scuderia Ferrari is inextricably intertwined with that of the “Autodromo.”

It is impossible to tell the tale in just a few lines: the triumphs and the tragedy of Ascari, the world championships with Hill, Lauda, Scheckter, the epic achievements of Michael Schumacher… Then there’s the 5.8 kilometres of track within the Park, the amphitheatre grandstand at the Parabolica, they have all witnessed and created the legend.

There was a time when there were ten kilometres of track, when the layout included the high speed banked oval, which was a spectacle all to itself. The current track has few corners but a fair few hidden dangers. On paper it looks easy, but as it is the track where cars run with the least aerodynamic downforce of the entire season, it requires a particular set-up and a sensitivity from the driver, especially under braking when he has no drag to rely on. Monza is often compared to Spa in terms of the effort it puts on the engines, but compared to the Belgian circuit, much more braking effort is required and the lateral loads, especially on the tyres, are far less. The long straights and little drag lead to high speeds, while the rest is all down to the spectators who, year after year build on the tradition of a compulsive race.

To this day, it is Formula 1’s superfast venue, a one of a kind which usually hosts the shortest race of the season, with averages speeds normally above 230 km/h. Scuderia Ferrari has triumphed here at home 18 times, the first occasion dating back to 1951 with Alberto Ascari and the last occurred in 2010 courtesy of Fernando Alonso.

The first chicane and the brakes
Monza is very complicated when it comes to the brakes, that are subjected to very heavy use. That’s especially true at the first chicane where cars decelerate from 300 km/h to under a hundred. It is one of the best places to try and overtake.

Lesmo 2
It’s vital to make a good exit to this turn, so as to be quick through Serraglio, one of the DRS activation zones, before getting the best run at the Ascari chicane.

Scuderia Ferrari wins