Italian Grand Prix – Highlights

The Monza circuit is also known as the “Temple of Speed”. This temple of speed holds many stories, some more successful than others, that have built the legend of this track and of Formula 1.

Let’s go back to some more or less recent stories.

Jochen Rindt, mowed down in the midst of his climb towards the title

In 1970, the Austrian driver drivers the famous Lotus 72. A single-seater as revolutionary as it is fast, it is nonetheless not very reliable.

“Light is right”, the famous concept guiding Colin Chapman’s life, leads to enormous disasters.

Since 1969, Jochen Rindt has disagreed with his engineer boss.

Indeed, the latter is pushing his concept further and further, risking losing reliability. This is how, at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Lotuses of Hill and Rindt suffered the same breakdown: the rear wing broke. Crashing into a barrier, the Austrian had to be hospitalized urgently.

But in 1970, it was Rindt who, at the moment of embarking on the last free practice session, opted for an aggressive strategy: he decided to remove his rear wing to compensate for his deficit in top speed.

Unfortunately, when braking at the parabolic turn, he loses control of his car and crashes into the safety barrier. This time, death was waiting for him.

Having a comfortable lead in the championship before this crash, no driver had the opportunity to catch up.

Death lurking every race weekend, Jochen Rindt had decided to hang up his gloves once the world title was in his pocket…

First race victory

We cannot forget the famous race that took place in 2020 and saw Pierre Gasly’s consecration on his AlphaTauri at the end of a Grand Prix marked by numerous twists and turns.

If this thoroughly deserved victory allows him to strengthen his aura with the public, unfortunately, it did not enable him to integrate the team at the level of his talent that would allow him to repeat this success.

Sebastian Vettel also experienced his first success on this Monza circuit. In 2008, the qualifying session took place in the rain and caught the title contenders: Hamilton, Massa, Kubica, and Räikkönen.

The Toro Rosso drivers are doing well: Bourdais is in 4th place, while Sebastian Vettel secures his first pole position.

In racing, the race starts under safety car conditions. The German driver is having a solid race. And even though the track is gradually drying out, he holds on to his leading position without faltering.

He thus becomes the youngest winner in a Grand Prix, as well as the youngest poleman.

1996: The first victory of Michael Schumacher for Ferrari

In his first season at Ferrari, Michael Schumacher, who had just become a double world champion, won at Monza.

He is ahead of Jean Alesi with whom he exchanged single-seaters during the off-season.

The Frenchman was leading the race until the 30th lap after one of the fabulous starts of which he alone has the secret. Indeed, the Avignon native took the lead on the fifth lap starting from sixth place on the grid. Unfortunately, the lack of reliability of his Benetton and his incredible bad luck will not allow him to sign a victory so well deserved that was within reach.

The German, Ferrari’s new driver, will be able to taste the joy of success in Formula 1 by driving for Ferrari.

For eight years, tifosi had been waiting for a Ferrari victory at home, since 1988.

This date is engraved in the memories of the tifosi. Indeed, a few days before the 1988 Italian Grand Prix, Enzo Ferrari passed away. The best tribute his team could pay him was the victory, and even the one-two finish achieved by Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto.