Formula 1 Season
September 2014Italian Grand Prix
Italy's Grand Prix is one of the world's oldest motor racing events, having begun at Brescia in 1921. In 1922 the mainly flat Autodromo Nazionale Monza was built in northern Italy and most races have been held there.
It is set in a royal park on the outskirts of Milan, and remains one of the world's most famous tracks. It is distinguished by the fact that drivers are on full throttle for over 70 per cent of the lap thanks to the long straights, with cars able to reach speeds of over 372 km/h (231 mph).
Most of the original layout of the track survives, though it did suffer extensive damage from bombing in World War II. The impressive bankings had to be extensively restored before the track could be used again in 1948.
The Italian Grand Prix was one of the inAugustural F1 championship races in 1950 and it has been held every year since then - only the British Grand Prix has been run with the same frequency.
In 2012, Lewis Hamilton won the race at the point in the season where the title race was still wide open.
