Speed, slipstreaming and overtaking. Since the “old” Hockenheim disappeared, Monza is the only high-speed track on the Formula 1 calendar. In the old days, there were no chicanes on the long straights making for some incredibly close racing, with dozens of overtaking moves every lap thanks to the slipstreaming effect.
The current track, a temple for Ferrari fans, consists of high speed corners interspersed with long straights, with chicanes to reduce the speeds, so that drivers and cars are subjected to heavy braking forces. The two Lesmo corners are among the most interesting and difficult : exiting the second Lesmo at 180 km/h it is all too easy to end up on the wrong line and run wide in the escape road.
However, the most famous corner is probably the Parabolica, a high-speed curve leading on to the start-finish straight with, in the background, the old high speed oval with a 38 degree banking. Watch out also for the first chicane where in the space of 150 metres the cars slow from 340 to 80 km/h. Cars run very little aero downforce to be as fast as possible down the straights, which is the key to a quick lap time.
Join us for the latest updates and results from the Monza Circuit, as the 2020 Italian Grand Prix is about to get underway, with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at the wheel of the SF1000, ready to score as many points as possible in the second race of the 2020 Formula 1 season.
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