sourced from various internet sites, enjoy
9 - 11 September 2011 
AUTODROMO NAZIONALE MONZA 
And of course Monza is the home of the famed Tifosi that give Monza a unique atmosphere.
The Track and Details
First race 1922
Circuit Length: 5.793 km (3.600 miles)
Race Length: 53 laps (306.7 km, 190.6 miles)
Details: Permanent racing facility Clockwise
Corners: 11 (7 right-hand and
4 left-hand corners)
Lap Record: 1:21.046 (Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari, 2004)
Official Website: www.monzanet.it
Top speed: 350 km/h (217 mph)
Average speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
Time at full-throttle: 77%
Time under braking: 10%
Gear changes per lap: 42
Tyre compounds: soft/hard
Tyre wear: high
Brake demand: very high
Downforce level: very low
Engine demand: [Very High]
2010 Fastest Lap
F. Alonso 1:24.139 on lap 52
2010 Pole Sitter
F. Alonso 1:21.962
2010 Race Winner
F. Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari
Most wins by single driver Michael Schumacher (5)
Timetable - (Brisbane Times)
ITALY | Monza
9,10,11 September 2011
Friday Practice 1 18:00-19:30
Friday Practice 2 22:00-23:30
Saturday Practice 19:00 -20:00
Saturday Qualifying 22:00
Sunday Race 22:00
It starts at 1400 hours local time, which is two hours ahead of GMT.
Its about this time of year the horror starts to set in..... The harsh realisation that the European season that started in Turkey all those months ago is behind us after this weekend at Monza, another one of F1's sacred sites. From there we head off into the night for Singapore and for the final flyaway races. And then it is all over for another year.
Monza marks a real return to power track territory, even if you thought Spa was quick! The 5.793km circuit in the Old Royal Park is one of the few remaining high speed tracks on the calendar and so requires the lowest downforce arrangement seen all year. Most teams will run a unique aero package not shared with any other circuit.
Monza's chicanes and four key corners, however, also demand a balancing aerodynamic efficiency to ensure a smooth transition over the harsh kerbs. A traditional power track, engines are put through their paces over the weekend as they consistently reach speeds of 340kph and endure a full throttle ratio of 73% per lap.
Monza's extreme low-downforce demands are perhaps most similar to that used at Montreal. The performance of each team will come down to how well the their cars work in low-downforce configurations.
Monza Facts*-
Monza has played host to more Formula 1 grands prix than any other circuit since 1950. In fact the venue would boast a 100 per cent appearance record but for 1980 when the Italian Grand Prix went to Imola.
*- The legendary circuit itself is located in Royal parkland around 15 miles north-east of Milan. Opened in 1922, it was only the third purpose-built motor racing circuit to be constructed after Brooklands and Indianapolis.
*- The track used to boast a 2.6-mile section of high banking which the drivers had to drive on to every other lap at the end of the start/finish straight. Added in 1955, it was only used a handful of times before being abandoned due to safety concerns. The banking although not serviceable is still in place as the pics show..... the aerial map shows clearly where the oval configuration fits in.
*-
Double world champion Alberto Ascari was killed at Monza in 1955, driving a Ferrari sportscar. The corner that claimed his life now bears his name.
*- Peter Collins was on course to win the world championship at Monza in 1956 but was forced to hand over his car to Lancia team leader Juan Manuel Fangio 15 laps from the end. The Argentine went on to finish second and take the title.
*- In 1957 the impossible happened. Vanwall filled the 3 car front row grid. An all British Racing Green front row was something the locals just couldnt cope with, so with Italian logic, the stewards announced that the grid formation would be a 4 wide front row, thus elevating a nice red Maserati to the front row!
*- Phil Hill became the first American to win a world championship grand prix after taking victory for Ferrari in 1960 at Monza.
He clinched the championship at Monza a year later in tragic circumstances when team-mate and title rival Wolfgang Von Trips was killed in thee opening laps.
*-
Jackie Stewart had his first ever GP victory at Monza in 1965.*- Jochen Rindt was killed in practice for the 1970 race. The Austrian, who was managed by Bernie Ecclestone, subsequently became F1's first posthumous world champion.
*- One of the closest finishes in grand prix history took place at Monza in 1971, when Peter Gethin beat Ronnie Peterson to the flag by 0.01s as five cars waged an epic slipstreaming battle to the flag.
*- Niki Lauda made his miraculous return to the cockpit still heavily bandaged at Monza in 1976, just over 5 weeks weeks after being given the last rites following his life-threatening accident at the Nurburgring. Incredibly, he was fastest of the three Ferrari qualifiers that day and he finished a stunning fourth in the race.
*-
Super Swede Ronnie Peterson was the king of Monza in the mid-Seventies taking victory in the race in 1973, 1974 and 1976. Tragically he died after crashing at start of the 1978 Italian Grand Prix.
*-
Monza has hosted the two fastest races in F1 history. Gethin's 1971 victory held the honour at 151.6mph, until Michael Schumacher averaged 153.875mph in 2003.
*-
Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto took an emotional 1-2 for Ferrari at the 1988 Italian GP, just weeks after the death of the team's legendary founder Enzo. It was the only race all season that McLaren failed to win.
*-
Michael Schumacher made his debut for Benetton in the 1991 Italian Grand Prix. Schumacher went on to win two world championships and 19 races for the team.
*-
David Coulthard spun off on the parade lap while leading the field round from pole position before the start of the 1995 Italian Grand Prix.
*- In 1996, Michael Schumacher made the Monza Tifosi (fanatics) wild after he claimed the first Ferrari victory on home soil since 1988
*-
Mika Hakkinen was famously filmed crying in the bushes after crashing out of the 1999 race. The Finn, who also threw his glove to the floor in disgust, thought he had blown his championship chances but recovered to take his second consecutive title.
*-
A year later it was Michael Schumacher who turned on the waterworks. He burst into tears on being told that his 2000 victory meant he had equalled Ayrton Senna's tally of race victories.
*- The 2001 event took place in muted circumstances just days after the terrorist atrocities of September 11.
The Ferraris ran with black nosecones and without sponsorship as a mark of respect to the victims. The race was won by Juan Pablo Montoya, his maiden F1 triumph.
Again in 2011 it will be on the 10th anniversary of that tragic event.
*- 2002 and Ferrari brought to Monza a one-two in front of their home fans with Rubens Barrichello on the top step of the podium and Michael Schumacher in second.
In 2003, Schumacher claimed his 50th Ferrari victory at Monza.
*- As if to underline the fact that
Monza always seems to bring out something special in Ferrari, the Scuderia has won 17 times since 1950 at home. That's over double the amount of wins scored by McLaren (eight) and Williams (six).
*-
Thirty-three different drivers have won the 58 Italian Grands Prix.
*- The Italian GP of 2007 was a first win for Fernando Alonso and then in 2008 was Sebastian Vettel's first win in a Toro Rosso. The only drivers in the field to have won are FA, Rubens (2004), DC back in 1997 and Schumacher.
*
Felipe Massa finally scored points at Monza in 2010 and stood on the third step of the podium.Kubica actually scored his first ever pdium at Monza in only his third F1 race.
* 13 of the current drivers have scored career points at Monza, Rubens the top scorer with 43pts, KR next with 24, Alonso 19,
Button 18, DC 16, etc
Hi Res Google Earth Map here: http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Autodromo+Nazionale+Monza,+20052+Monza+MilanJust click on the satellite image when the map comes up.
LAP RECORDRubens Barrichello holds the lap record at the circuit. His time of 1m21.046s was set on his way to victory for Ferrari in 2004.
Track Mark Webber believes the first lap at Monza remains the most dangerous of the season, despite the safety revisions made to the second chicane run-off area for 2007's race.
The Grand Prix Drivers Association has voiced its concerns over a number of years about the safety of Formula 1's fastest circuit, with the gravel run off at the end of the 205mph run up to the second chicane having caused particular fears.
Even with an asphalt run-off area and GPDA director Webber says although it has made that particular corner safer, the track itself remains 'on the edge'.
We are travelling at high speeds here, no question about it.
The first chicane's fine.
The second chicane is... every time you go there... I didn't see the run-off until the second day because I was lucky enough to make the apex most times but I had a look on one of the in-laps after I finished a run, I actually drove across it and had a look, and the asphalt is not bad, because obviously we've seen that it arrests the car, plus it doesn't trip the car up on the gravel and things like that, which is one of our biggest worries for the second chicane, and Ascari.
Parabolica is also on the edge.
"If you have a failure there you can probably go in pretty hard."
Webber admits the layout of the historic circuit means that the danger element is always likely to be higher here than at other venues, no more so than on the first lap of the race.
That's Monza, he said
It's very difficult for us to make progress here because the guys meaning the FIA and the people here at Monza have tried their best to slowly chip away with it but it's probably the most dangerous first lap that we do on the run to the second chicane here, it's probably one of the most dangerous if not the most dangerous first lap that we do in the season, if it's in dry conditions.
Monza PreviewMonza is the Mecca of Ferrari's tifosi . It's the fastest track of the year and it's good to go there, knowing that I can count on a car, which runs how I like it.
Thanks to the nature of the circuit, and the way in which some cars are faster in a straight-line and more stable than others under heavy braking, there are several overtaking opportunities around the lap.
'With this small amount of downforce, you then have to adapt areas such as braking stability and mechanical balance to get good grip in the corners, because the lack of downforce means the car has very little. Last year did not give me any good memories, but it is a track that I would really like to win at, so hopefully we can make that happen.'
Teams use their lowest downforce settings here, and you can get some idea of the punishment the engine gets from the fact that the pit straight demands more than 16 seconds of full-throttle running. Every lap the cars ran under full throttle in four sections, reaching speeds of around 340 km/h. Inevitably, that is followed by very heavy braking for the chicanes, which have high kerbs that mete out further punishment to the machinery.
StrategySince a pit stop here requires 25 seconds, the Italian Grand Prix is often a single-stop race. However the tyre life of the 'option tyre' may not be allow this strategy, and two is the normal.
Weather ForecastThe weather forecast appears fine and sunny at this point of time.
Warm (max 25°C on Sunday), Wind will be generally light.
http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Monza/forecasts/latestMonza Tyres"Monza is an extremely difficult circuit to master from a tyre perspective. In terms of track surface you could use a soft tyre.
"However, because of the high speeds a lot of heat is generated and therefore to cope with that you select a harder compound. This combines with the low downforce to make a compromise in terms of grip.
"It's extremely important in Monza that the teams adhere to the minimum tyre pressures advised for durability reasons, and this is a higher pressure than at other tracks.
"Of course the high pressure compromises the traction in the slow corners, but safety comes first. It's up to the team engineers to get the best compromise from their cars from the aerodynamics and suspension settings."
Bridgestone will bring the same soft and hard compound Potenzas to Monza that they used at Spa-Francorchamps.
With such high top speeds, and an average lap speed of 250kph, extensive loads are exerted on the brakes during each braking event. Turn one, for example, sees drivers brake so hard into the corner, they experience 5+g. Accordingly,
brake durability is crucial while a car's stability under braking is also important at Monza where the track surface is notoriously bumpy.
Braking simulation for Monza using a Motec i2 pro based on a McLaren MP4-19bIt's way beyond me, but does show how the brakes get hammered at time from the top speeds found at Monza.
Previous Winners Italian GPYear Driver Constructor Engine
2010 ALONSO Fernando Ferrari Ferrari
2009 BARRICHELLO Rubens Brawn Mercedes
2008 VETTEL Sebastian Toro Rosso Ferrari
2007 ALONSO Fernando McLaren Mercedes
2006 SCHUMACHER Michael Ferrari Ferrari
2005 MONTOYA Juan-Pablo McLaren Mercedes
2004 BARRICHELLO Rubens Ferrari Ferrari
2003 SCHUMACHER Michael Ferrari Ferrari
2002 BARRICHELLO Rubens Ferrari Ferrari
2001 MONTOYA Juan-Pablo Williams BMW
2000 SCHUMACHER Michael Ferrari Ferrari
1999 FRENTZEN Heinz-Harald Jordan Honda
1998 SCHUMACHER Michael Ferrari Ferrari
1997 COULTHARD David McLaren Mercedes
LAST YEARS RACE2010 Qualifying results
2010 Race results
We should remember these Monza Heroes who lost their lives at Monza-
RIP Alberto Ascari, Wolfgang Von Trips, Jochen Rindt and Ronnie Peterson
2011 marks the 41st anniversary of Jochen Rindt's death at Monza.
HISTORYNear Milan , in the park of Vialle Reale lies the Autodromo di Monza. One of the last few fast and old fashioned European GP circuits.
The track was constructed in 1922 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Milan Automobile Club. The S.I.A.S (Società Incremento Automobilismo e Sport) was set up to organise the construction that was funded entirely with private capital. The track was designed by the architect Alfredo Rosselli with various goals in mind. Several possible locations were considered for the autodrome, the most convincing of which were in the "moorland" area of Gallarate, where Malpensa international airport now lies, and the Cagnola district which at that time was on the outskirts of Milan. The draft projects for these two solutions called for a peripheral ring circuit with possible complementary courses inside it. But the final decision fell on the Villa Reale park in Monza which, at that time belonged to the Italian Veterans' Institute.
The first stone was laid by Vincenzo Lancia and Felice Nazzaro (probably one of Italy's first car race winners (1907 & 1922 French GP and two time Targa Florio winner, at the end of February, 1922, but only a few days later the first ecological concern began to show up with the intervention of the under-secretary for Public Education, who ordered suspension of work for reasons of "artistic and monumental value and landscape conservation". As the intricate controversy developed the argument for the absolute necessity of the autodrome prevailed, even though with smaller size than originally planned, and at the end of April official approval was received.
Ironically just recently environmentalists put in a local council that successfully allowed for the circuit to have very limited unsilenced use, and put the GP in danger of being lost to Monza. Local residents of course, who move to somewhere close and....etc. Fortunately the regional mayor just did a 'dont be so stupid man, this is Monza and the Italian GP we are talking of.....', and threw the injunction out.
Constructors wanted somewhere to test vehicles at top speeds, and so needed a good straight. It also needed to test the manoeuvrability and resilience of the machines under extreme conditions. In terms of creating a good racing track, there needed to be a balance of high speed sections and more demanding corners, all of which needed to be easy to place spectators round.
Opened in 1922, it was only the third purpose-built motor racing circuit to be constructed after Brooklands and Indianapolis. the track was completed in August. The grand stands opened to the public in September of that year. a banked oval track incorporated into the design of the road racing circuit, The track was 10 km in length and was built on an area of 340 hectares.
A shot from the 2009 race showing where the old 10km track used to go after leaving the pits.
The list of famous victories and horrifying accidents is long, and all combine to make Monza one of the most magical places on the Formula One calendar. For many there is nowhere that encapsulates the sport better than this circuit.
The Italians call it "La Pista Magica," the magic track, a description few would disagree with.The Closest race ever...1971 Italian GP, Monza.Its hard to imagine these days but the Monza circuit used to play host to tremendous slipstreaming duels of which 1971 was the greatest. Clay Regazzoni's Ferrari blasted into the lead from the fourth row but on the fourth lap he was passed in turn by Peterson, Stewart and Jo Siffert. Stewart and Peterson would trade the lead for the next couple of laps. Resembling not so much a Grand Prix race but an American oval race, all that was missing was the fender bending.
The lead group consisted of no less then 12 cars racing flat out nose to tail but soon this murderous pace began to take its toll. Both Ferraris and Stewart's Tyrrell were out while Mike Hailwood, the motorcycle champion, was now in the lead from his 17th position at the start of the race.
Chris Amon decided to make his move and went from fourth to first in one lap with eighteen to go. With seven laps to go he accidentally tore the visor on his helmet and had to drop back. The lead group now consisted of four cars, Peterson, Cevert, Hailwood and Gethin. Entering the last lap Peterson was in the lead but was passed by Cevert entering Lesmo. Peterson took this in stride as he was planning to resume the lead at Parabolica where he had a definite advantage over the Frenchmen who he felt to be his biggest challenger.
Just as he was lined up to make his move he saw out of the side of one eye a blur streak by. That blur turned out to be Peter Gethin passing on the grass and seemingly out of control. Fearing the worse both Peterson and Cevert hesitated as Gethin with all four wheels locked up and smoking furiously was able to regain control and cross the finish line 0.01 sec in from of Peterson. (There is some discussion over whether this is really the closest, with technically shorter times appearing later, but the 0.01 was the smallest timing unit measured and 0.01 was more or less the first step from a dead heat.
In the end 0.61 seconds covered the first five cars.Mark Webber takes us on his RBR simulator for a lapWDC Championship Points [post Spa] DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS:
POS DRIVER POINTS
1 Sebastian Vettel German RBR-Renault 259
2 Mark Webber Australian RBR-Renault 167
3 Fernando Alonso Spanish Ferrari 157
4 Jenson Button British McLaren-Mercedes 149
5 Lewis Hamilton British McLaren-Mercedes 146
6 Felipe Massa Brazilian Ferrari 74
7 Nico Rosberg German Mercedes 56
8 Michael Schumacher German Mercedes 42
9 Vitaly Petrov Russian Renault 34
10 Nick Heidfeld German Renault 34
11 Kamui Kobayashi Japanese Sauber-Ferrari 27
12 Adrian Sutil German Force India-Mercedes 24
13 Sebastien Buemi Swiss STR-Ferrari 12
14 Jaime Alguersuari Spanish STR-Ferrari 10
15 Sergio Perez Mexican Sauber-Ferrari 8
16 Paul di Resta British Force India-Mercedes 8
17 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Williams-Cosworth 4
18 Pastor Maldonado Venezuelan Williams-Cosworth 1
19 Pedro de la Rosa Spanish Sauber-Ferrari 0
20 Jarno Trulli Italian Lotus-Renault 0
21 Vitantonio Liuzzi Italian HRT-Cosworth 0
22 Bruno Senna Brazilian Renault 0
23 Jerome d'Ambrosio Belgian Virgin-Cosworth 0
24 Heikki Kovalainen Finnish Lotus-Renault 0
25 Timo Glock German Virgin-Cosworth 0
26 Narain Karthikeyan Indian HRT-Cosworth 0
27 Daniel Ricciardo Australian HRT-Cosworth 0
28 Karun Chandhok Indian Lotus-Renault 0CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
POS CONSTRUCTOR POINTS
1 RBR-Renault 426
2 McLaren-Mercedes 295
3 Ferrari 231
4 Mercedes 98
5 Renault 68
6 Sauber-Ferrari 35
7 Force India-Mercedes 32
8 STR-Ferrari 22
9 Williams-Cosworth 5
10 Lotus-Renault 0
11 HRT-Cosworth 0
12 Virgin-Cosworth 0
Topic: 2011 Formula 1 Gran Premio Santander D'Italia (Monza) (Read 765 times)
