Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a motor racing circuit set in a royal park just outside Monza, near Milan, Italy. Opened on September 3, 1922, it was the world’s third purpose-built race track after Brooklands and Indianapolis, built in a remarkable 110 days. It has hosted the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix every year since the championship began in 1950, save for a single break in 1980, making it one of the sport’s most enduring venues.
Nicknamed the “Temple of Speed,” Monza is defined by its long straights and high-speed corners, with modern F1 cars spending roughly 80% of a lap at full throttle. The current Grand Prix layout measures 5.793 km, and the circuit is home to the outright Guinness World Record for fastest speed in an F1 Grand Prix: 372.6 km/h (231.5 mph), set by Juan Pablo Montoya in a McLaren-Mercedes on September 4, 2005. The venue can hold nearly 119,000 spectators, and its abandoned 1950s banked oval, no longer raced on since 1961, still looms over the modern track as a monument to the circuit’s daredevil past.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Monza, near Milan, Italy
- Opened: September 3, 1922
- Capacity: About 118,865
- Track Length: 5.793 km (3.6 miles)
- Notable Event: Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix (hosted almost every year since 1950)
- Top Speed Recorded: 372.6 km/h (231.5 mph) — Juan Pablo Montoya, 2005 Italian GP (Guinness World Record)
- Nickname: The Temple of Speed
The Ride Experience
For fans, Monza is about speed and noise in the open air of a royal park. The layout’s long straights, connected by chicanes like the Variante del Rettifilo, reward late braking and produce some of the closest slipstreaming battles on the F1 calendar. Grandstands line the main straight and the historic Curva Grande, giving spectators a close view of cars approaching top speed before hard braking zones.
Just off the current track, the abandoned banked oval built in 1954 remains one of the circuit’s most striking features. Used in F1 only in 1955, 1956, 1960, and 1961 before being deemed too dangerous, its crumbling 21-degree curves are now a walkable public attraction that visitors explore before or after race weekends.
History and Legacy
Monza closed during World War II and reopened in 1948, later becoming a permanent fixture of the Formula 1 World Championship from its inaugural 1950 season. The 2022 Italian Grand Prix drew a record crowd, with roughly 337,000 fans attending across the race weekend, reflecting the circuit’s enduring pull as one of racing’s most historic venues.
Today the Autodromo Nazionale Monza continues to blend heritage with high-speed competition, hosting not only Formula 1 but also other major motorsport events throughout the year, while preserving its early 20th-century banked curves as a piece of racing history.
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Monza Circuit FAQs
When did Autodromo Nazionale Monza open?
The circuit opened on September 3, 1922, just before hosting that year’s Italian Grand Prix.
What is the fastest speed ever recorded at Monza?
Juan Pablo Montoya reached 372.6 km/h (231.5 mph) in a McLaren-Mercedes during the 2005 Italian Grand Prix, an outright Guinness World Record for a Formula 1 race that still stands.
Is the Monza banked oval still used for racing?
No. The banked oval, built in 1954, last hosted an F1 race in 1961 and was abandoned for competitive use afterward, though sections remain accessible to the public.
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Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.