Monza: the Temple of Speed
- pitwallstories
- Aug 16, 2024
- 4 min read
National Circuit of Monza: located in the historic park of the homonymous city, it is the third oldest permanent racetrack in the world (after Brooklands in England and Indianapolis in the USA). It is the circuit where most Formula 1 Grand Prixs took place, but it even hosted, from 1949 to 1968, the Nations motorcycle Grand Prix. We all know its track: but what makes it really special? Let’s retrace the history of the Temple of Speed.
The construction of the Autodromo was decided in January 1922 by the Automobile club of Milan, with the aim of celebrating the 25th anniversary of the birth of the Association. Those were the years of post-war Italy: the country was well known abroad for the production of sports and luxury cars; moreover, Italy in the 1920s experienced the spread of futuristic culture. The construction of a circuit: what better option to celebrate the cult of speed? In addition, it was necessary to find a venue worthy of the Italian Grand Prix, held the year before on the semi-permanent circuit of Montichiari, which was not sufficiently equipped for an event of such importance. The racetrack was built in the record time of one hundred and ten days: even before becoming its Temple, the circuit had already been born under the banner of Speed.
The subsequent dynamics that involved the Autodromo were often, unfortunately, determined by the tragic accidents that occurred there: many times it has been necessary to use alternative internal circuits or to modify some features of the track. In 1955, Alberto Ascari lost his life during a private test session: the curve where the accident occurred is renamed in his name. The tragic 1961 Italian Grand Prix, which cost the life of Ferrari driver Von Trips and twelve spectators, marked the end of the use of the 10km track for Grand Prix single-seaters: the Ministero del Turismo e dello Spettacolo issued new safety rules (races would only be held on the 5,750 meter road track). Another notorious accident is the death of the Austrian driver Jochen Rindt in 1970: Rindt was at the top of the championship standings and was not reached by anyone in the following races, becoming the only posthumous World Champion in the history of Formula 1!
Safety: an extremely sensitive issue in the world of motorsport. It is something that must always be weighed because, under those helmets, there are lives whose importance is beyond career and numbers. The parabolic curve of Monza bears the name of Michele Alboreto. It is one of the most iconic sections: it precedes the straight and contributes to making the track one of the fastest in the world. The Parabolic Curve was built in 1955. It took its name from the design and the trajectory it described: a rising arc line, similar to a parabolic arc. Michele Alboreto is one of the greatest Italian pilots of the last decades. Born in 1956, he began his sports career when he was 20, in the Formula Monza championship. In the Eighties he made his debut in Formula 1 and – after an experience in Tyrrell – moved to Ferrari. During his career he won five F1 Grand Prix but also competed in other championships including DTM, Formula Indy and World Endurance, of which he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997. He died on April 25, 2001, at the age of 44, following an accident at the Lausitz racetrack (Germany), during some preparation tests for Le Mans. Alboreto was very sensitive when it occurred to safety. Gian Carlo Minardi said about him: «In the contract he signed with me, he had added a clause: even if the speed in pit lane was still free, he decided to drive through the pits at a level that he considered safe».
Italy lost a champion who would have played an important role in the development of racing, thanks to his ethical and sporting values. The magistrate of the Senna trial, Maurizio Passerini, in the book "Senna. Le verità" has recognized the role of Alboreto in the search for the causes of the tragedy of the Tamburello. He said the truth at a time when the world of F1 was trying to cover up the reality of the facts: the break of the steering column. 20 years after his death, in 2021, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, President of the Automobile Club of Italy, decided to name the Parabolic Curve of the Autodromo after Michele Alboreto: a small gesture to remember a great man, which reminds us how important it is not to take safety for granted.
Despite everything, Monza is able to give us emotions that are hard to find elsewhere. The Italian Grand Prix is the place par excellence where Tifosi can dream: Ferrari drivers know what it means to win in the homerace of the Scuderia, to look down, see a red wave invading the crowd and raise the trophy in their name.
The appointment for the new Monza Grand Prix is set for September 1st. The last four drivers to climb the highest step of the podium were: Max Verstappen in 2023 and 2022, Daniel Ricciardo in 2021, Pierre Gasly in 2020 and Charles Leclerc in 2019. Who will take the victory in the Temple of Speed in 2024? Monza, just like us, is ready to find out.
