The fastest track in Roarington, Monza, back on stage with the 2023 Italian F1 GP

Universally known as the “Temple of Speed”, the Monza track has hosted the Italian Grand Prix since 1922 when a FIAT 804 emerged as the winner. This was followed by the era of Bugatti and, above all, Alfa Romeo, which achieved a series of successes culminating in 1950 when, thanks to the victory in Monza, they secured the first-ever World Drivers’ Championship title. The championship, which is still contested to this day, was established that year, and Alfa Romeo conquered it with the famous “Alfetta” 159.

Car collectors are well aware of the models to look for, and if they are true specialists, they even know the ones that achieved specific victories, such as in the case of Schumacher’s single-seaters, which significantly increase in value.

On the eve of the 2023 Grand Prix at the circuit located in the majestic park of Villa Reale in Monza, let’s discover the most intriguing stars. We can set aside Verstappen and his Red Bull for the time being as their story has only just begun. Instead, let’s turn back the pages to explore intriguing and curious facts.

Nino Farina with his Alfa Romeo 159 after the victory at Monza that claimed him the 1950 Formula 1 World Championship.

First, let’s consider the brands with the most wins: Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Williams, all very much still in the race. Although Ferrari can claim 19 victories in the Hall of Fame, in reality it’s won 20 times if we consider the success in 1949 when the world championship had not yet begun. The single-seater featured a 1,500cc V12 supercharged engine that was soon replaced by the naturally aspirated 4,500cc V12 engine.

Mercedes has also won more than 7 Grand Prix in the World Championship: their two victories in 1934 and 1937, when Germany conveyed its message of power through racing, bring their total to 9 wins, because in 1935, 1936, and 1938, it was their sister team Auto Union that prevailed.

Naturally, owning a W25 and W125 or the Auto Union Type B and Type C is a dream realized by only a fortunate few collectors, one of which is Bernie Ecclestone, which should come as no surprise.

However, behind Ferrari’s record, there’s McLaren with an impressive 11 victories.

The start of the 1975 Italian Grand Prix at Monza won by Clay Regazzoni. Third place guarantees Niki Lauda his first Formula 1 World Title with Ferrari.

Thinking about the victorious cars, some are truly desirable to find, see, and perhaps witness in Roarington as digital twins of the originals. Two examples: Clay Regazzoni’s Ferrari 312T, which won in Monza in 1975, or Michael Schumacher’s F1-2000, which was sold at auction in Hong Kong for a figure not far from $10 million.

Equally attractive are the McLarens from 1989, 1990, and 1992, driven to victory by Prost and Senna.

The McLaren MP4/5 driven by Ayrton Senna at Monza in 1989. The Brazilian champion would retire due to engine problems, leaving victory to fellow rival Alain Prost.

Among the legendary cars, one of the Lotuses that conquered Monza, such as Clark’s in 1960, in the classic green and yellow Lotus livery, or Mario Andretti’s in 1977 with the JPS livery, represents an almost impossible goal for collectors.

Less famous, and perhaps for that reason, more accessible, is the 1967 Honda driven by Surtees, dubbed by the media as “Hondola” because the Japanese engine had been adapted to an English Lola chassis. Equally interesting is the 1969 Matra Ford of World Champion Jackie Stewart.

Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver at Monza with five wins equal to Lewis Hamilton. Pictured here is the Ferrari F1-2000 World Champion.

The history of the Temple of Speed would require an entire library. The track layout itself has undergone numerous transformations. In the 1960s, the creation of the high-speed track that extended to a total length of 10 kilometres was truly spectacular. In this special configuration, Monza can be discovered and driven using the Roarington simulators by Zagato and Pininfarina.

The “Anello d’Alta Velocità” - High Speed Ring - merged with the race track on the starting straight.

However, for several years now, the old track has had to introduce chicanes to reduce speed. All in vain: Monza remains famous for the compact groups of single-seaters travelling at extremely high speeds, taking advantage of the slipstreams on its long straights. Could you envision the Temple of Speed any other way?

The Monza racetrack in its 1955 configuration has been faithfully reproduced digitally with the legendary “Sopraelevata”, which at its steepest point measures 80% inclination.