The Monza occasion is at all times particular however this 12 months, it’s much more so. Will probably be the seventy fifth time that the Autodromo has hosted a Method 1 World Championship race, greater than another circuit within the historical past of motor racing’s blue riband class. For Pirelli, this weekend marks the top of celebrations for having taken half in 500 Grands Prix, a milestone reached at Zandvoort final Sunday. As was the case for the Dutch Grand Prix, right here in Italy, the twenty automobiles on observe and all of the slick tyres will function a particular brand, which was introduced in London on 18 February, as a part of the celebrations for 75 years of Method 1. Additionally in Monza, the drivers and group personnel will be a part of senior administration from F1, the FIA and Pirelli for a celebratory photograph, a number of hours earlier than the beginning of the race.
The FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2025, to present the Monza race its official title, takes place round 20 kilometres from the headquarters of the game’s International Tyre Accomplice and Sunday’s podium will mirror this particular hyperlink. The highest three finishers will sport a novel Podium Cap, a part of the 2025 assortment produced by Pirelli Design, with artistic enter from the designer Denis Dekovic. The Monza Podium Cap which options the “azzurro” blue recalling the Italian sky above the “Temple of Velocity”, in addition to the five hundred GP brand, is already on sale on its devoted e-commerce platform. (https://retailer.pirelli.com/).
Photogallery at this hyperlink
These three drivers, together with the consultant of the profitable group, may also maintain aloft a really particular trophy, which fits by the title of “Chimera.” This title was given it by Nico Vascellari, the Italian artist answerable for the fifth version of the venture arrange by Pirelli and Pirelli HangarBicocca. In actual fact, since 2021, an Italian artist has been entrusted with the creation of a trophy for the Italian race of which Pirelli is the Title Sponsor, incorporating the up to date creative expression from conventional artwork venues to the circuits of the world of Method 1. The primary fee in 2021 was handed to Alice Ronchi, adopted in 2022 by Patrick Tuttofuoco, in 2023 by Ruth Beraha and in 2024 by Andrea Sala.
The theme of mythology and velocity, already visited with “Tifone” in 2022, is sustained this 12 months with “Chimera.” The enigmatic sculpture created by Vascellari represents the motion of the three quickest creatures within the air, in water and on land, the peregrine falcon, the sail fish and the cheetah respectively. Their particular person aerodynamics, linked to the wings and talons within the case of the chicken, the tail for the cat and the fin for the fish, come collectively to create a single fantastical creature, evoking evolution, metamorphosis and alter. The trophies are constructed from aluminium, a light-weight materials additionally used within the manufacture of Method 1 automobiles, using a course of that begins from a two-dimensional drawing, which is then reworked by way of natural modelling and 3D resin printing, and culminates in funding casting, one of many oldest sculpting methods. This unites artisanal craftsmanship with extremely modern strategies.
“The reference to the animal world on this trophy stems from mankind’s pure fascination with it, an instinctive feeling that goes past and expands our limits of velocity, flight and endurance,” explains Vascellari. “Animals are an inexhaustible supply of inspiration. After I designed the trophy, I assumed in regards to the second the motive force lifts it excessive above his head: a symbolic gesture to raise the animal world and nature above us, in an try to revive steadiness. It’s also a celebration of nature’s means to be a supply of inspiration.”
“Chimera” will likely be unveiled at Monza in the course of the Pirelli Tyres Speak session, for media solely, within the Pirelli Sizzling Laps storage (field 7) on Friday 5 September, instantly after the primary Method 1 free observe session. Readily available, other than the artist will likely be Aldo Costa, Chief Technical Officer of Dallara Automobili and Mario Isola, Pirelli Director of Motorsport.
The compounds
There isn’t a change in compounds in comparison with final 12 months, when the observe had simply been resurfaced for the Italian Grand Prix on the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. The C3 is the Laborious, the C4 Medium and the C5 Comfortable. Twelve months on, inevitably the floor could have aged, however it’s unlikely to have any vital impact on the vary of doable methods at this circuit, the place automobiles run within the lowest aerodynamic downforce configuration of the season.
It’s possible that the preferred decisions for the race itself would be the Laborious and Medium. One can assume that the extent of graining will likely be decrease than final 12 months because the observe will now be bedded in. Time misplaced within the pit lane for a tyre change is among the many longest of the season, so groups will try to run as lengthy a stint as doable, preserving degradation below management, with the intention of solely altering tyres as soon as.
It’s troublesome to overhaul at Monza, primarily due to the decreased effectiveness of the DRS, with the automobiles working minimal aero downforce ranges. This too tends to swing the steadiness in favour of a one-stop technique. Alternatively, temperature can have the alternative impact on condition that September in Lombardy can typically nonetheless really feel like the peak of summer time. This may velocity up tyre degradation, which might make a two-stop extra aggressive.
In 2024
14 drivers opted to begin on the Medium, the remainder taking a extra conservative method with the Laborious. Lance Stroll pitted thrice and the remaining 18 finishers have been cut up virtually equally between one and two stoppers. The three drivers on the rostrum all began on the C4. The winner, Charles Leclerc, switched to the C3 on lap 15 after which went all the way in which to the chequered flag. The McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, second and third respectively, stopped a second time to tackle one other set of Hards. The aforementioned Stroll was meant to be on a two-stop technique, solely making a ultimate cease for Softs in an try and safe the purpose on supply for setting the quickest race lap.
Graining was the important thing issue when deciding on technique, because it was fairly vital within the early stints, earlier than dropping off within the later ones. This meant drivers who had gone for a single cease have been in a position to lengthen tyre utilization with out paying too excessive a value by way of efficiency.
The observe
The Monza observe holds the report for the best common race velocity, courtesy of Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari with a determine of 247.586 km/h in 2003, in addition to the quickest common velocity of 264.362 km/h for a qualifying lap, set by Lewis Hamilton on the wheel of a Mercedes in 2020. Final 12 months, pole went to Lando Norris with a mean velocity of 263 km/h. Straightforward to know due to this fact why the venue is universally often known as the Temple of Velocity.
The 5.793 kilometre observe has 11 corners and drivers spend 80% of the lap at full throttle, the automobiles working the bottom aero downforce stage of the season with the intention of decreasing drag to a minimal. On this context, stability below braking and traction out of the corners is essential, particularly on the chicanes such because the Prima Variante and the Variante Ascari, the place the drivers want to clean off velocity very quickly. Lateral forces come into play on the quickest corners, equivalent to Biassono and the legendary Parabolica, now renamed in honour of Michele Alboreto.
After the observe was utterly resurfaced in 2024, this 12 months Monza has targeting enhancements to the general public areas. 4 thousand seats have been added for spectators within the basic viewing areas, with out assigned grandstand seating whereas the hospitality space above the pits has additionally elevated in capability. Due to this, the media centre has been relocated to a short lived construction on two flooring, with seating for 400, subsequent to the outdated pit garages.
Key phrase: braking
The braking required for the primary chicane at Monza is likely one of the most extreme on the Method 1 calendar. In keeping with information from Brembo, the automobiles arrive on the braking level at round 337 km/h and are subjected to an on the spot deceleration of round 5g, because the automobiles sluggish to 89 km/h. By urgent onerous on the pedal, the motive force operates the calipers that grip on the carbon discs. The kinetic power this generates is quickly changed into warmth which can also be transmitted to the tyres. The entrance axle is the one which comes below probably the most stress throughout braking because it offers with the foremost deceleration. The world the place the tyre meets the observe, often known as the “contact patch” is shrunk by the camber angle of the wheels, due to this fact compression happens that may trigger a short lived flattening of the tyre’s profile. This will increase put on and may make it extra vulnerable to locking up.
Locking up happens when the tyre stops turning and scrapes alongside the observe. The creates a “flat spot” on the tread in order that the tyre is not spherical. This results in a lack of grip that causes the automotive to run large by way of the corners. The driving force turns the wheel into the nook, however the automotive continues to journey straight on, a phenomenon often known as understeer, The incidence of understeer will increase significantly when the wheels lock up because the tyres slide throughout the floor and not generate ample lateral forces to show effectively.
Statistics nook
That is the seventy fifth 12 months that Monza will host the Italian Grand Prix as a spherical of the Method 1 World Championship. Though that is truly the 76th Italian Grand Prix, as for one 12 months solely, in 1980, the race was held in Imola. Even so, Monza tops the listing of tracks which have hosted probably the most Grands Prix, forward of Monaco and Silverstone.
Not solely do two of the sports activities greats, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, share the highest of the desk for world championship crowns, they’re additionally probably the most profitable drivers at Monza with 5 wins apiece. They each have eight podium finishes to their title, whereas the Englishman additionally has probably the most pole positions on seven.
With twenty wins, Ferrari is probably the most profitable group, virtually a 3rd of all of the Italian races. It heads the fields for pole positions (23) and podium finishes (72). McLaren is second in all three of those lists with 11 wins, 12 pole positions and 31 podium finishes.
One other fascinating “Italian” statistic regarding Monza is that it was the scene of the one race win for a Ferrari engine not fitted to a automotive in-built Maranello. It occurred in 2008 when Sebastian Vettel pulled off some of the sudden wins within the historical past of Method 1 on the wheel of a Toro Rosso. In actual fact, the Faenza-based group produced one other shock 12 years later, when below the title AlphaTauri, it received in Monza once more, with Pierre Gasly on the wheel.
The Italian Grand Prix has determined the result of the Drivers’ world championship 11 occasions, in 1950, 1956, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978 and 1979. For Jackie Stewart, it occurred twice, the Scotsman topped in 1969 and 1973.
FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2025 trophy designed by Nico Vascellari: Chimera, 2025. Commissioned by Pirelli in collaboration with Pirelli HangarBicocca. Courtesy Studio Nico Vascellari. Picture: A. Osio.
Pirelli PR
