Monza: Essential Facts For Any Motorsport Enthusiast.

To some the Italian city of Monza, located on the River Lambro in the Lombardy region of Italy is known as a historic capital, boasting a variety of historical sites and known to have withheld 32 sieges.

For motorsport enthusiasts however, Monza is known for one thing and one thing only; the

Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, host of the Formula One Italian Grand Prix.

With a varied and storied history, here we look at three major facts about the circuit that any

fan should know.

Record Breaking

The fastest average lap speed recorded in qualifying for a World Championship event was set in Monza, when Max Verstappen lapped in 1:18.792 at an average speed of 264.681 km/h (164.465 mph) in 2025. The official race lap record is held by Rubens Barrichello when he recorded 1:21.046 during the 2004 Italian Grand Prix. The 2025 race was also the fastest world championship Grand Prix in F1 with Verstappen recording an average speed of 250.706 km/h (155.791 mph).

History making

Monza holds it's place in the history books firmly and proudly. Built in 1922 it was only the

world's third purpose-built motor racing circuit, following the construction of Brooklands and

Indianapolis. As a result it has the status of being the oldest in mainland Europe, and has hosted the Italian Grand Prix every year since 1949, apart from the notable exception of 1980 which saw the circuit closed for major refurbishment.

Speed loving

Largely due to the lack of alterations it has received since 1920, Monza is known for it's high

speed and since 1991 has been the fastest track on the Formula One calendar. Made up of tight chicanes and long straights, F1 engines operate at full throttle fir nearly 80 per cent of the lap, meaning that cars show clearly the speeds of which they are capable. As a result, the maximum speed recorded by an F1 car was made in 2024 when 357.1 km/h (221.9 mph) was recorded at the end of the starting/finishing straight.

• This was the fastest world championship Grand Prix in F1 history (subject to final results

confirmation), with Verstappen winning at an average speed of 250.706 km/h or 155.791 mph.

• The total race time was 1:13:24.325.

• The previous record was set here by Michael Schumacher for Ferrari in 2003 (1:14:19.838,

247.585 km/h, 153.842 mph).

• This is only the second time the fastest race record has been broken in the last 54 years.

• Verstappen has won twice in Italy this season.

• It was his third win of the season, and his 66th career victory.

• It was Verstappen’s third Monza win in the last four years.

• Verstappen is the first driver to win from pole at Monza since 2019.

• McLaren’s Lando Norris took P2 and has finished second in all of Verstappen’s Grand Prix

victories in 2025.

• It is the seventh time he has finished second this season (he had five wins).

• Norris has closed the championship gap to 31 points behind team mate Oscar Piastri.

• Piastri’s P3 result was his lowest finish since Canada, six races ago.

• It was Piastri’s 34th consecutive points finish in a Grand Prix – the third-longest in history

behind Verstappen (43) and Lewis Hamilton (48).