(This stuff was left by Paul before he left for America)

Monza was the third permanent circuit to be built in the world in 1922. The two before it were Brooklands in England in 1909, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1911. It comprised two circuits - a 4.5 km loop track and a 5.5 km road track. It held its first grand prix later that year



Monza has held a Formula One grand prix every year from the start of the championship except 1980. Due to behind the scenes politics the race was moved to Imola, but returned to Monza in 1981 with Imola getting its own race as the San Marino GP from 1981 onwards.



Italy’s only world champion, Albero Ascari, was killed at the circuit in 1955 days after surviving a plunge into the harbour at Monaco. The corner at which he was killed is now named after him in his honour.



The famous Monza banking was last used in 1961. At the same race, Ferrari driver Wolfgang Von Traps was killed along with 14 spectators after his car collided with the Lotus of Jim Clark and went into the crowd. He only needed third place during that race in order to win the world championship.



The track was altered in the 1970’s due to ever-increasing speeds at the circuit. There was chicanes installed before and after the Grande Curve, slowing the cars down and lengthening the circuit slighty to 5.8km.



In 1971 Peter Gethin won the closest ever grand prix in F1 history, with the first 5 drivers covered by 0.6 seconds. It was also the fastest grand prix of all time until Michael Schumacher won the same race in 2003.



In 1979 South Africa’s Jody Scheckter won the world championship after team orders prevented his team-mate Gilles Villeneuve from overtaking him. It was to be Ferrari’s last world championship victory for 21 years, until Michael Schumacher won the championship for the Scuderia in 2000.



Gerhard Berger took an emotional victory at Monza in 1988, two weeks after the death of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari. He led home team-mate Michele Alboreto after race leader Ayrton Senna was taken out of the race after colliding with Jean-Louis Schlesser in the Williams. It was the only race that season that McLaren failed to win.



Minardi driver Christian Fittipaldi had a miraculous escape at the circuit in 1993. He collided with his team-mate Pierluigi Martini on the start finish straight on the final lap and was flipped into the air, spinning 360 degrees and landing right side up and managing to cross the line.



The chicanes were altered in 2000. The first chicane was changed from a double left-right chicane to a tight right-left-right turn. The second chicane was also slightly elongated to give greater run-off area. Unfortunately a multi-car crash at the second chicane led to the death of a marshal, leading to widespread criticism of the new chicane layout.



Last year’s race seen Michael Schumacher take an emotional win from Kimi Raikkonen in the McLaren. He announced after the race that he was to retire from F1 at the end of the season, with Ferrari announcing shortly after that Raikkonen was to replace the German at Ferrari.



Previous Winners:



2006 – Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari

2005 – Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) McLaren Mercedes

2004 – Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Ferrari

2003 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari

2002 - Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Ferrari

2001 - Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) Williams BMW

2000 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari

1999 – Heinz-Harald Frentzen (GER) Jordan Mugen Honda

1998 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari

1997 – David Coulthard (GBR) McLaren Mercedes

1996 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari

1995 – Johnny Herbet (GBR) Benetton Renault

1994 – Damon Hill (GBR) Williams Renault

1993 - Damon Hill (GBR) Williams Renault

1992 - Ayrton Senna (BRA) McLaren Honda

1991 – Nigel Mansell (GBR) Williams Renault

1990 - Ayrton Senna (BRA) McLaren Honda

1989 – Alain Prost (FRA) McLaren Honda

1988 – Gerhard Berger (AUT) Ferrari

whats he doing over here and why isnt he coming to my place for beer, beach, bikini and BBQ??

He's gone to a family wedding in Cleeveland(sp?) I think.

you spelling was close, Ohio is a good long drive from where I am, too long just to have a beer with me i suppose!

But we do have:

Disney World
MGM
Kennedy Space Center
Daytona
Homestead
Miami Vice
Beaches

and all kinds of other wonderful things to do here

So tell me DC19, do you think Massa will get bad air from Alonso this year?

Hey Saint, are you talking about FA's penalty for failing to yield on his outlap?

NO I am talking about the penalty he got for being on front of Massa and not impeding him in the slightest, though we are talking about the same event.

I agree that the penalty was undeserved. I was being formal in my previous post. The gap was quite large and Massa never got close to Alonso's wake.

Luckily other circumstances mitigated the damage done by questionable judgement on the part of the officials.

Interesting Monza fact: Frentzen's win here in 1999 was the only time in Jordan's F1 history that they won a dry race!