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Italian Grand Prix

Facts

This weekend's Italian Grand Prix, is the 700th Formula One World Championship Grand Prix since the series began in 1950.

Monza is the second oldest Grand Prix location, Indianapolis host of the United States GP, and the Indianapolis 500, which counted to the Formula One World Championship between 1950 and 1960, is 13 years its senior. With the advent of the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis in 2000, the American circuit became the oldest location, built in 1909. Only Brooklands, built in 1907, preceded it as a permanent circuit.

Only Italy and Britain have held Grands Prix every year of the World Championship, and all but one of Italy's have been at Monza.

The history of Monza is a remarkable one. Scheduled to be built in 100 days in 1922, it then hosted three race meetings in a week and remains, the high temple of Italian motor racing, where the faithful come to worship. The focus of that worship, quite naturally, is usually Ferrari. Enzo Ferrari himself would say of Monza "Victory, and even mere participation, have a special flavour at Monza." The tifosi would agree, but particularly if Ferrari were racing.

It was conceived as the Autodromo Nazionale, a track on which all kinds of vehicles could be tested. Three locations were originally considered: the present site of Malpensa airport, the Cagnola district, then on the outskirts of Milan, and the Villa Reale park in Monza, then owned by the Italian Veterans' institute. The initial plan was for a banked speed bowl and a road circuit, the pair totalling 14 kilometres, 8.7 miles, designed by Alfredo Roselli. The first stone was laid by Vincenzo Lancia and Felice Nazzaro at the end of February 1922. But ecological concerns - 'artistic and monumental value and landscape conservation' - halted construction within days and instead, a new, shorter circuit was planned with a speed track of 4.5 kms, 2.79 miles and a road circuit of 5.5kms, 3.42 miles.

Construction was re-commenced on May 15 and was meant to take exactly three months to August 15, but went slightly over that to 110 days. In that time, 3,500 labourers with 200 wagons, 30 lorries and a dedicated narrow gauge railway slaved away to complete the circuit, complete with a main grandstand with 3000 seats and six 1000-seater stands, made entirely of wood.

Even the opening of the track was something of a record: it was officially opened by Premier Facta on September 3 1922, and that day a race was run in pouring rain for Voiturettes, won by Pietro Bordino in a Fiat 501. Five days later, the motorcycle Grand Prix of Nations was run, with overall victory going to Amedeo Ruggeri on a Harley Davidson 1000. And two days after that, the second Italian Grand Prix for cars was run, again won by Bordino, this time in a six cylinder Fiat 804.

Since then, there have been 14 different configurations for the circuit. These, of course, were based on the standard 10 kilometer, 6.21 mile track which incorporates both the banked and road circuit, but there was one that was 100 meters longer which included a couple of chicanes just before the two banked corners. The shortest is the Junior circuit which turns right just before the banking begins on the start/finish line. The latest modifications, for last year's Grand Prix, was the 14th configuration.

Only Britain has held as many national Grands Prix as Italy - one for every year of the championship - so this will be the 53rd Italian Grand Prix. Remarkably, 52 have been at Monza and one at Imola (1980) so no other circuit has had such a history of Grand Prix racing in the modern World Championship. Monaco is the only one that comes close; this year's race was the 50th around roughly the same circuit in the Principality.

Italy has hosted other races. Since that one Italian Grand Prix at Imola, there have been 23 San Marino Grands Prix at the circuit. And the one other Grand Prix held in Italy is unique for a couple of reasons. The Pescara Grand Prix was held in 1957, the only Grand Prix to be named after a town rather than a country, continent or region. It was also the longest circuit in the history of World Championship Grand Prix racing at 25.599 kms, 15.894 miles.

Monza's first World Championship Italian Grand Prix was something of an Italian occasion too. On the rostrum, at the end of it, were no less than four Italians! Farina had won; sharing the second placed Ferrari were Dorino Serafini in his only Grand Prix and Alberto Ascari. And following them home was Fagioli in third.

A year later, Ferrari scored the first of seven one-twos at Monza - BRM are next with two! Ascari won that day, and again a year later from pole position with fastest lap. Fangio won the first of his three consecutive victories at Monza in 1953. The next year he won by more than a lap from Mike Hawthorn, and his was the first of a trio of an all-Mercedes front row in 1954, followed by victory over team-mate Taruffi.

Ferrari filled the first of their five front rows in 1956 with three cars, but it was Stirling Moss who won, the first of his three wins at the circuit. Three Ferraris were again on the front row and dominated the race in 1960, an event boycotted by the British teams because it was on the combined road and banked circuit. Phil Hill lead the trio home having lead from flag to flag and setting fastest lap on the way. He would not only become the first American winner of a World Championship Grand Prix, but the last driver to win in a front-engined car. Actually it was almost a Ferrari 1-5 because Giulio Cabianca finished fourth in his Cooper-Ferrari ahead of von Trips in another Ferrari.

There were 32 starters in 1961, the second highest for a Grand Prix, and not surprisingly, the second most retirements ever too at 20. BRM finished one-two the next year and three years later when there were 41 lead changes, the most ever. John Surtees had won from pole with fastest lap the year before when there had been 27 lead changes. Honda had their first race win in 1967 at Monza while Jackie Stewart's victory over Jochen Rindt in 1969 was tone of the closest ever finishes at 0.080s.

The 1971 Italian Grand Prix is well-known for many reasons. It was the fastest race ever at 242.615 kph, 150.754 mph. Peter Gethin crossed the line just 0.010s ahead of Ronnie Peterson and the first five cars were covered by a second. There were eight different lap leaders - the most ever - with 25 changes of lead. Buried deep in the field was Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus-Pratt&Witney four wheel drive, the last appearance of a 4wd in a Grand Prix. The next year saw Firestone's last win in Grand Prix racing.

Ronnie Peterson took the first of his three victories at Monza in 1973, leading home Lotus's only one-two at the track. His third win in 1976 saw nine drivers within a minute of the leader. It was cruel fate that Peterson should lose his life after the 10 car pile-up at the start of the 1978 Grand Prix. Five cars were eliminated in the accident and the race stopped. When it was restarted, it became the fifth shortest race ever at just over an hour, won by Niki Lauda who headed a Brabham-Alfa one-two after Andretti and Gilles Villeneuve were disqualified. Lauda didn't lead a single lap.

Monza has been the World Championship-deciding race 12 times, more than any other circuit, but not since 1979 when Jody Scheckter clinched it for Ferrari. Renault had the first of two front rows that year and the second a year later at Imola, a race won by Nelson Piquet who would go on to win another three Italian Grands Prix, more than anyone else. Alain Prost won the first of his three victories a year later. The 1987 race was the shortest full distance race ever at 1 hour 14m 47.707s. Williams had the first of their three front rows that year, while the next year saw McLaren's one and only front row.

Damon Hill's 1993 fastest race lap is the fastest ever at 249.835 kph, 155.241 mph. Williams occupied the front row for the second of three times that year. For the next two years, the race was stopped because of an accident at the end of the first lap.

Juan Pablo Montoya's pole winning lap in 2002 averaged 161.449 mph, while Rubens Barrichello posted the fastest lap of the race averaging 154.901 mph. The winner's speed - including pitstops - averaged 149.806 mph

There have been three Italian World Champions and 78 Italian Grand Prix drivers, 13 of whom have won 40 Grands Prix between them. Another 15 never qualified to race. Among those are one of three Italian women Grand Prix drivers; the other two are the only women ever to have raced in a Grand Prix, and Lella Lombardi was the only women to get into the points.

Before Giancarlo Fisichella won in Brazil this year, Ricardo Patrese was the last of Italy's winners in Japan in 1992, he also holds the record for the most Grand Prix participations at 256.

Several others also hold records. Nicola Larini had gone more races than anyone else without scoring a point (44) before he finished second at the ill-fated 1994 San Marino race. He won't be unhappy that compatriot Luca Badoer on 50 races has now taken that record. Claudio Langes tried 14 times to qualify for a Grand Prix but never raced in one while Gabriele Tarquini failed to qualify 40 times - but did race 38 times! At least Marco Apicella and Massimo Natili got to race in a Grand Prix - even if it did last less than a lap.

At the other end of the success scale remember Giuseppe Farina, who won the first World Championship Grand Prix ever, and Giancarlo Baghetti who is the only other driver to have won his first World Championship Grand Prix, in France in 1961.