Monza is one of the few classic tracks left on the Formula One World Championship calendar. It ranks alongside Monaco, Silverstone and Spa Francorchamps as one of the sport’s most historic and prestigious races.
Today, legendary status is secured by way of its being Formula One’s fastest track. At full throttle down the start/finish straight the likes of Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton will reach speeds in excess of 200 mph!
Yet for all that speed, the modern day Monza is relatively tame in comparison with its former self. Throughout the 50s and 60s the Grand Prix was run on a circuit that mixed the street style of the current iteration with terrifyingly fast and bumpy oval type turns. Check out the 1966 movie Grand Prix with James Garner for a taste of what it was like.
Some of the old track remains, a relic of a bygone era that’s held out of sight of the global television audience. It’s gracefully decaying high-banked turns a reminder of the age where the heroic pursuit of speed was all too often a fatal one.
Monza is of course famed for more than just its high-speed straights and corners. As the host of the Italian Grand Prix, it’s home turf of the legendary Ferrari team. Thousands of passionate fans – known as the tifosi – turn up every year to support the famous red cars.
For the first time in a number of years they’ve really got something cheer. Ferrari’s lead driver Fernando Alonso (a two-time world champion) arrives at this weekend’s race with a 24-point lead in the driver’s standings.
Anyone making the trip to the Italian Grand Prix should make time for a little detour south to Modena, Italy. Modena is Ferrari’s home. It’s the place where founder Enzo Ferrari first started his car-making business.
There you can visit a new museum, Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari, dedicated to his life and works. Standing on the ruins of the house where he was born is a stunning, futuristic gallery that houses a breathtaking collection of not just Ferraris, but also other great Italian marks like Alfa Romeo.
Scuderia Ferrari, the company’s motor sports department (if you can call it that) is based in nearby Maranello (about a 25-minute drive away from Modena). There’s a great museum, the Ferrari Museum, that traces the history of Ferrari’s Formula One and sports car endeavors and another awesome collection of immaculately kept race cars.
Perhaps coolest of all though, you can take a guided tour of the factory and renowned Fiorano test track where the famous Prancing Horse is first built, then fine-tuned.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Images: JiteshJagadish, parepinvr4, Francesco Crippa, david.orban)
