The Monza banking

Originally posted by TODave2
There's a bit in this month's F1 Racing that says...

"...and a section of the original circuit's banking still survives"

(my bolding). This lead me to believe that most of it had actually been taken down. Is that not the case then...?

Originally posted by Mawerick
Satellite photo of Monza, during this years race:

http://www.euspaceim...monza-Itlay.jpg

Originally posted by gdecarli
Old Anello Alta Velocità (High Speed circuit) is still there. I have been there on June 22nd with my camera and I took several photos; they are on my website - www.gdecarli.tk (go to Tracks - Italy - Monza).

Original layout of chicanes built on 1965 is disappeared and entrance of Curva Nord Alta Velocità (North high speed curve, the first one) is covered by a tribune. Bankings are abandoned, opposite straight has a wonderful tarmac because they made some test for the road circuit some years ago.
All Monza history is still there but old high speed track (destroyed in 1938) and Curve in porfido (porphiry bends), canceled in 1955 when Parabolica and new High Speed oval were built.

Ciao,
Guido

Originally posted by Wolfie242
Very nice picture. Do you know if there are similar pictures from other tracks as well?

Originally posted by JDeRosa
great site!!

"Monza is partly a track and partly a road circuit. The principal features of the track are large-radius bends with very low banking, which will not permit cars to go round at anything like the speed of which the modern racing car is capable. This opens out into a flat road circuit with a series of fairly sharp bends and corners, which are hardly super-elevated at all. For ten out of its fourteen kilometres the track proceeds through woods and the trees are fairly close up to the road; the result of this is, should the car leave the track, it is almost certain to hit a tree. I think I am correct in saying that Monza holds the unenviable reputation of having brought about the death of between twenty and thirty of the world's best drivers due to this cause.

The track is beautifully laid-out and its surroundings are most attractive. There have been many proposals for modifying the track and the races held on it, but so far as I am aware up to the present this has not been done.

The record lap speed of the track is not very high, being only in the region of 130 m.p.h. Like all tracks of this nature, when wet it becomes very slippery. The surface is a sort of very coarse tarmac.

I myself regard the insufficient banking on the two main bends of the track, and the fact that a large proportion of it runs through woods, as being its most dangerous features, and I believe that, if it is impossible to provide banking sufficient to take the most powerful racing car at the peak of its performance, it would be better if the banking were done away with altogether. Certain, however, is that any driver who enters for a race at Monza should be a man of great experience, otherwise the way to disaster is easy."

Originally posted by dolomite
Facinating pictures on your site, Guido, I hadn't realised there were so many old sections of Monza track still in existence.

I have a pre-war book called 'Motor Racing' by Earl Howe, published I believe in about 1939, which includes some maps and descriptions of various circuits at that time. Here is how he describes Monza (there is no map unfortunately)

For ten out of its fourteen kilometres

There hane been many proposals for modifying the track and the races held on it, but so far as I am aware up to the present this has not been done.

Originally posted by gdecarli
As you can see, only old bankings, Vedano bends and olds chicane have been canceled. Old banking was destroyed in 1938 (I don't know why they didn't simply decide to remove them), Vedano bends in 1955, because this area is used for new banking.It's an interesting description, as he says...Monza was never 14 km long, only original proposal but it was changed after some days and shortened to well known 10 km layout. Besides, in 1939 old bankings were already canceled, so of course...
this was not true in 1939. Maybe he was quite unluck

His comments about low banking are quite funny if you think new babking built in 1955...

Thank you very much for this article

With reference to "some maps and descriptions of various circuits" included in that book, is there something still unpublished?

Ciao,
Guido

Originally posted by Wolfie242
Very nice picture. Do you know if there are similar pictures from other tracks as well?

Originally posted by Gary C
..............apart from the shops behind the pits, which a bit of a shame in itself

Originally posted by nigel5 on Almost Moves -2 thread

Guido, I went to your site : Terrific.
But, why some people wants to destroy the Monza banking ? From my point of view, it's ridiculous.
Why these banking are not used to organise an Historical race ?

Originally posted by gdecarli
Well, today would be difficult to use old Circuito Alta Velocità because of first chicane tribune placed at the beginning of Curva Nord (nord banking). However track condition is quite terrible. It would be great to have a historical race or at least a parade!

They want to destroy it because Monza circuit is in a wonderful park and they want to use this area for new trees. I think trees are very important, expecially near Milano, but this is quite a ridiculous question: I don't think they are going to plant a new forest 10 meters wide and 3 km long!

I think the real question has nothing to do with circuit, trees and historical races, but it's only a political question. Monza had always had such problem (first time was in 1922, few days after initial works begun!) but it's one of the oldest circuit still in use and the one more similar to original layout: let's hope for its future!

Ciao,
Guido

People still spray graffitti all over it as you can see on the old crossover

Originally posted by SEdward
On a wholly speculative and subjective basis and according to no more than my sensations when standing beneath both of these wonderful edifices, it seems to me that the banking at Montlhéry is considerably higher than the banking at Monza.

Originally posted by SEdward Does anyone have dimensions or statistics to back this up (pushing the TNF envelope)?

Originally posted by SEdward
On a wholly speculative and subjective basis and according to no more than my sensations when standing beneath both of these wonderful edifices, it seems to me that the banking at Montlhéry is considerably higher than the banking at Monza.

I managed to run to the top of the banking and grab the armco at Monza, but I have never succeeded at Montlhéry.

Does anyone have dimensions or statistics to back this up (pushing the TNF envelope)?