After last week bore lets hope Monza brings us the goods.

The temple of speed, the title given to Monza Circuit due to its exceptionally high top speeds. The circuit located within Monza Park stretches over 5.793 km and features 11 corners. Few braking zones are present on the track, but they are quite demanding on the braking systems. There will be two DRS zones in sector 2 and 3.

Naturally, the chosen setups will lean towards minimal aerodynamic load to achieve higher speeds. Let’s explore together the critical points in the Monza track analysis ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.

Sector Breakdown

Sector 1

The lap starts on the main straight and leads into the first chicane, a slow right-left to be taken in 2nd/3rd gear. Just before the chicane, however, is the severest braking point of the circuit. Indeed, this is where the highest speeds are reached, also aided by the use of DRS in slipstream. Attention should also be paid to another component of the car, the plank, the skid plate underneath. This might wear excessively and go beyond the minimum limit. Another consideration is the bumps before and during the braking, which could unsettle the car. Corner 1 and 2 has been resurface and slightly widened allowing for more use of the track trying to find grip on exit.

Exiting the first chicane, acceleration is directed towards Curva Grande (Corner 3), a right bend taken flat out. Exiting corner 3 leads into the Roggia chicane (Corner 4), a complex left-right combination to tackle. The braking before it also generates over 5 G of and features a change in tarmac that could make it more complex.

Sector 2

The second sector is the most technical part of the track and starts with the Roggia chicane (Corner 4&5). Here, the drivers tend to attack the curbs, risking jumping over them and ending up in the gravel on exit and potential floor disruption. This part precisely represents the challenge of the chicane, as it’s easy to exceed track limits.

From here, the approach is towards the two Lesmo corners (6 & 7), two consecutive right turns. A slight banking helps in navigating, almost “inviting” the car into the curve. Slightly more complex is the second Lesmo, where the limit of the track is the gravel and it’s easy to reach it. From here, the track descends towards the Serraglio corner where the DRS can also be used.

Sector 3

The last sector of the track starts with a carefully calibrated braking. This is the one preceding the Ascari Chicane (Corner 8,9 & 10) and leads to generating over 5 G of deceleration. The braking point here heavily influences navigating three rapid changes of direction, which could unsettle the car. We will likely see some spins around here over the weekend.

Exiting the Ascari Chicane, the track heads towards the Parabolica (Corner 11) through the straight. With all this speed, the setups will focus on suspensions capable of transferring lateral load and a slightly more open differential setting. Furthermore, attention will need to be paid to the exit of this corner to avoid track limits.

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