Track guide · road course
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza at a glanceChecked 2026-09-10
- Length
- 5.793 km3.6 mi
- Turns
- 11
- Opened
- 1922
- Capacity
- 118,865
- Location
- Monza, Lombardy
- Type
- road course
- Direction
- clockwise
- Banking
- the derelict 1955 high-speed oval (roughly 30°) survives alongside the modern track but has not been used for racing since 1969
- Surface
- asphalt
- Owner
- Comune di Monza / Automobile Club Milano, operated by SIAS S.p.A.
- Address
- Via Vedano 5, Parco di Monza
- Phone
- +39 039 24821
- Website
- monzanet.it
Track map and layout
Monza is the fastest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar, a low-downforce test built from long straights joined by hard-braking chicanes rather than technical corner sequences. The lap opens with the Variante del Rettifilo chicane straight after the pits, feeds onto Curva Grande, then slows again at the Variante della Roggia before the two long right-handers of Lesmo 1 and Lesmo 2. A run through the trees down the back straight leads to the Variante Ascari chicane, then full throttle down the second long straight into the famous Curva Parabolica (now officially Curva Alboreto), a huge banked-feel right-hander onto the pit straight. Cars run at close to full throttle for around 80% of the lap, and the circuit sits inside the historic Parco di Monza, with the abandoned banked oval still visible alongside the modern layout.
Named corners and sections
Variante del Rettifilo.
The first-corner chicane immediately after the start/finish straight, a heavy braking zone and the most common first-lap incident spot.
Curva Grande.
A wide, flat-out right-hander taken at close to top speed on the way to the Roggia chicane.
Lesmo 1 and Lesmo 2.
A pair of committed right-handers named after the nearby village of Lesmo; drivers thread a narrow gap between trees on the outside kerb.
Variante Ascari.
A fast left-right-left chicane named after double world champion Alberto Ascari, taken at high speed before the run to Parabolica.
Curva Parabolica (Curva Alboreto).
The long, banked-feel final corner, renamed in 2019 in memory of Michele Alboreto; a heavy braking point and prime overtaking spot onto the pit straight.
Configurations
Grand Prix Circuit
5.79 kmcurrent F1, WEC and GT World Challenge Europe layout
Junior Circuit
2.49 kmshorter internal layout used for karting and club racing
Events and race weekends
Monza's headline event is the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, held every year since the championship began in 1950 except 1980, and one of the loudest, most passionate races on the calendar thanks to the Tifosi turning out in force for Ferrari. The circuit also hosts rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship, GT World Challenge Europe's Sprint and Endurance Cups, TCR Europe, and historic events including the Monza Rally Show on the surrounding roads. Motorcycle racing largely moved away from Monza in the 1970s-80s, so the circuit's modern calendar is car-focused.
Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix
Formula 1held at Monza every year since 1950 bar 1980
Annual eventWhenSEPSeptember6 Hours of Monza
FIA World Endurance ChampionshipReturned to the WEC calendar for 8 November 2026 as one of two European replacements for the cancelled Qatar and Bahrain rounds
Annual eventWhenNOVNovemberGT World Challenge Europe
GT3Sprint and Endurance Cup rounds
Annual eventWhenMAYMay/JuneTCR Europe / Italian GT
Touring car & GTAnnual eventWhen—varies
Getting there and parking
Monza sits inside the Parco di Monza on the northeastern edge of the city, about 15 km (9 miles) northeast of central Milan. Milan Linate is the closest airport, with Malpensa and Bergamo Orio al Serio both under an hour's drive. The circuit is well served by rail: Monza railway station on the Milan–Chiasso line is a short taxi or shuttle ride from the gates, and Milan's Centrale and Garibaldi stations connect onward to the wider Trenitalia and international network.
- LINMilan Linate (LIN)about 25 mindrive
- MXPMilan Malpensa (MXP)about 50 mindrive
- BGYBergamo Orio al Serio (BGY)about 55 mindrive
Parking
Large paid car parks surround the park on Grand Prix weekend; official park-and-ride and shuttle buses run from Monza and Milan on race days because on-site parking sells out and roads into the park congest badly.
TipFor the Italian GP, take the train to Monza station and use the organised shuttle buses into the park rather than driving — traffic around the circuit gates is notoriously slow on Friday through Sunday.
Hotels and camping near Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Most Grand Prix visitors base themselves in Milan, 15-20 minutes away by car or train, which has by far the largest hotel supply in the region; rooms across the city sell out and prices spike well ahead of the September race. Monza itself has a smaller but useful range of hotels and B&Bs within walking or short taxi distance of the park gates.
Where to look
Monza town centre is the closest base; Milan (Centrale, Porta Garibaldi and the city centre) offers far more hotel choice with a 15-30 minute drive or train ride to the circuit.
Camping
A designated campsite operates inside Parco di Monza for the Italian Grand Prix weekend, offering tent and small-van pitches close to the circuit; it is popular with fans wanting to avoid Milan traffic and books out in advance.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Monza runs a busy programme of track days, driving experiences and corporate test days through SIAS and third-party organisers, using the full Grand Prix circuit for most public sessions. Options range from passenger hot laps and single-seater experiences to open-pitlane HPDE-style days for road and track cars, though availability is limited around the Grand Prix and major championship weekends.
Who runs days here
New to track days? Our beginner guides, costs and gear →
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 1 race lap record | 1:20.901 | Lando Norris | McLaren MCL39 | 2025 |
| Formula 1 qualifying record | 1:18.792 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull RB21 | 2025 |
| World Superbike lap record | 1:42.229 | Tom Sykes | Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R | 2013 |
Drive Autodromo Nazionale Monza in a sim
These racing games and simulators include Autodromo Nazionale Monza as official content. Mods and community tracks are not listed.
iRacing
paid trackLayouts—
Assetto Corsa Competizione
base gameLayouts—
Le Mans Ultimate
base gameLayouts—
rFactor 2
paid trackLayouts—
Assetto Corsa
base gameLayoutsMonza; Classic 60's Edition (3 variants, includes the banked Sopraelevata)
Assetto Corsa EVO
base gameLayouts—
Automobilista 2
DLC: Adrenaline Pack Pt2; Monza PackLayoutsMonza [DLC]; Monza Historic 1971 [DLC]; Monza Historic 1971 10k [DLC]; Monza Historic 1971 10k (no chicane) [DLC]; Monza Historic 1971 Junior [DLC]; Monza Historic 1991 [DLC]; Monza Junior [DLC]; Monza STT [DLC]
RaceRoom Racing Experience
paid trackLayouts2 layouts (count shown on store page)
Gran Turismo 7
base game or free updateLayoutsMonza; Monza No Chicane
F1 25
base gameLayouts—
Building a sim rig? Four example setups from $279 → · Every real track in sim racing games
Checked against each publisher’s track list in October 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026).
Spectator guide
Monza's grandstands line the start-finish straight, the Rettifilo and Roggia chicanes, Lesmo and the Parabolica, giving good views of braking and overtaking, while general admission areas in the park's woodland let fans move between vantage points and picnic between sessions. The Tifosi atmosphere, especially the podium celebrations when Ferrari does well, is one of the loudest and most celebrated in F1.
Seating
Named grandstands include Centrale, Ascari, Roggia, Lesmo, Parabolica and Serraglio, each facing a different corner or straight.
Best places to watch
The Parabolica and Ascari grandstands give close views of late-race braking and overtaking; general admission mounds inside the park are a cheaper way to see several corners across a day.
Weather
- September (Italian GP): typically warm, highs around 24-27°C with occasional late-summer thunderstorms
History of Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Built in 100 days
Monza was constructed in the grounds of the former royal park north of Milan in 1922, with ground broken in May and the circuit ready for racing by September — a remarkably fast build overseen by the Automobile Club di Milano to give Italy a purpose-built home for grand prix racing. It quickly became one of the world's great speed temples, hosting the Italian Grand Prix from the outset and, from 1950, every round of the Formula 1 World Championship bar one.
The banked oval and its cost
In 1955 Monza added a 4.25 km high-speed banked oval that could be combined with the road course to create a 10 km super-speedway, used for the spectacular 'Race of Two Worlds' events that pitted American IndyCars against European grand prix machinery. The oval's punishing bumps and speeds came at a price: Wolfgang von Trips and fifteen spectators died in a 1961 crash on the banking, one of several tragedies across Monza's history, including the 1928 accident that killed Emilio Materassi and 27 spectators and the 1933 'Black Day of Monza', when three drivers died in separate races on the same afternoon. The oval was abandoned for top-level racing after 1969 and today survives, weathered but structurally intact, as a backdrop rather than a racing surface.
Chicanes, safety and the modern lap
From the 1970s onward, Monza was progressively slowed with chicanes at the first corner, the Roggia and the Ascari curves, transforming a pure high-speed layout into the stop-start rhythm still raced today while retaining its status as F1's fastest circuit, with cars spending roughly 80% of the lap at full throttle. The Curva Parabolica was renamed Curva Alboreto in 2019 in honour of the late Michele Alboreto. Owned by the local authorities and Automobile Club Milano and operated by SIAS, Monza remains the beating heart of Ferrari's home support, packing well over 100,000 Tifosi into the Parco di Monza every September for one of the sport's most emotional weekends.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Monza circuit?
The Grand Prix Circuit is 5.793 km (3.600 miles) with 11 corners.
What is the F1 lap record at Monza?
The race lap record is 1:20.901, set by Lando Norris in a McLaren MCL39 during the 2025 Italian Grand Prix.
Can you still see the old banked oval at Monza?
Yes. The derelict 1955 banked oval survives alongside the modern circuit inside Parco di Monza and can be viewed on foot, though it has not been used for racing since 1969.
Why is Monza called the Temple of Speed?
Its long straights and light-downforce setup make it the fastest circuit on the F1 calendar, with cars running at close to full throttle for roughly 80% of the lap.
Can you camp at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix?
Yes, an official campsite operates inside Parco di Monza for Grand Prix weekend, within walking distance of the circuit.
What is the closest airport to Monza?
Milan Linate is closest at around 25 minutes' drive, with Malpensa and Bergamo Orio al Serio both under an hour away.
Which racing games and sims have Autodromo Nazionale Monza?
Autodromo Nazionale Monza is officially available in iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Le Mans Ultimate, rFactor 2, Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa EVO, Automobilista 2, RaceRoom Racing Experience, Gran Turismo 7 and F1 25. Some of these include it in the base game and others sell it as paid content; the table above shows which.
Other tracks nearby
Facts checked against 13 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.