6 Reasons Why The Italian GP Staying At Monza Is Crucial For F1

The 2016 Italian Grand Prix is the 67th time the race has appeared on the official F1 calendar. Of those, 66 races have taken place at the Monza track. And even before the formation of the F1 championship in 1950, both the race and the circuit had plenty of history.

Monza has gone through an evolution over the decades but still retains the charm, character and old-school feel. It has a huge amount of heritage and has been raced on by some of the world’s greatest drivers.

Not having an F1 race at Monza each year would bring this incredible run of racing history to an end and take a truly special race away from F1. Fortunately, we’ve got it back for the next three years.

2. The Prancing Horse

You can’t think of Monza without Ferrari also popping into your head. It’s the Italian manufacturer’s home F1 race and the team is the most successful in the Italian GP’s history, with 18 wins since the formation of the F1 championship in 1950.

As Ferrari is arguably the most powerful entry in F1 and has a huge fan base in Italy, so losing the race would’ve had a much bigger impact than simply dropping a classic venue from the schedule.

The Italian GP is an unusual race because the track is so different. Top speed is crucial and low downforce set-ups dominate, but Monza has always hosted interesting racing and we’ve seen some awesome on-track action over the years. The long straights and heavy braking zones are a good recipe for overtaking and there’s something truly awe-inspiring about seeing the cars shoot under the old oval banking at over 200mph.

4. The fans

Largely made up of Ferrari’s ‘Tifosi’, the Italian GP has a special atmosphere and always boasts full grandstands. As it’s the home race of Ferrari and due to the track’s location, fans from across Europe travel to Monza for the weekend and make it one of the most popular on the calendar. Plus, the crowds celebrate even more if a Ferrari is on the podium.

5. European home

While I’m perfectly fine with F1 going off and exploring new areas and markets, Europe is the series’ home. There’s a rich history and some wonderful memories. Over the years we’ve seen more and more European races drop off the calendar despite some enjoying healthy attendances.

Losing a big-hitter like Monza would be devastating. We’ve got it for three more years but the Italian GP’s long-term future is far from secured. Thankfully Bernie Ecclestone sees sense and is keen to retain Monza for an even longer period of time but F1 is F1, so I won’t believe it until I see an official announcement.

6. Unique challenge

As mentioned earlier, Monza presents a completely different challenge to other circuits. In fact, most teams bring special aero packages just for the Italian GP. The long straights and high-speed sections favour low downforce levels and strong power units, but this makes the tight chicanes particularly tricky and we often see incidents under braking.

Newer tracks share similar characteristics and features but Monza is completely unique and really is one of a kind. It’s no surprise it has stayed in F1 for so long and has become one of the most well-known race tracks in the world.

What are your favourite Monza memories? Let us know in the comments below!