858 replies to this topic

[KWSN - DSM]

Rev up your engines and fasten your seatbelts—it's time for the Italian F1 Grand Prix at the legendary Monza Autodromo. In years past, racing legends like Ludovico Scarfiotti, and Clay Regazzoni  all won on this track and will metaphorically nod in approval as the modern gladiators prepare to take on the Temple of Speed.

 

Monza is where the past meets the present in a high-octane cacophony of roaring engines (to the extent we can even hear them and screeching tires (to the extent they screech).

 

What makes Monza spicy:

• Monza is known as the "Temple of Speed" for a reason. It's the fastest tracks on the F1 calendar, with cars reaching speeds that make your morning commute look like a leisurely stroll.
• The track's unique layout, long straights, and tight chicanes make it a test of speed and skill. It's like a rollercoaster but without the safety harness!
• Monza's iconic banking, used in the past, looks like something from a sci-fi movie. Imagine driving on a wall at breakneck speeds – that's Monza for you!

While we're in Italy, let's stop to explore the origins of two of its most beloved creations: Limoncello and Pizza.

 

Limoncello

Legend has it that Limoncello was born on the sun-kissed shores of the Amalfi Coast. A wise old Italian grandmother, Nonna Maria, decided to capture the essence of sunshine in a bottle. She took the zest of the finest lemons and added a splash of alcohol and a generous amount of sugar. After letting it sit and mingle for a while, she had a bright, zesty liqueur that could make even the grumpiest grandpa smile. And thus, Limoncello was born – a liquid ray of sunshine to brighten up any day.

 

 

Pizza

The story of pizza is as delicious as the dish itself. Once upon a time in Naples, a humble baker named Raffaele Esposito wanted to impress Queen Margherita of Savoy. He created a dish that represented the colors of the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil). The queen was so delighted with this culinary masterpiece that she declared it her favorite; thus, the Margherita pizza was born. Pizza became a symbol of Italian pride and a global sensation from that day.

 

 

So, as we gear up for the Italian Grand Prix, let's raise a glass of Limoncello and enjoy a slice of pizza while cheering on our favorite drivers. May the best racer win, and the spirit of Fangio, Farina, Scarfiotti, and Regazzoni guide them to glory!!1

 

Forza Monza!

 

Weather

Friday Sun and clouds

Saturday Sun and clouds

Sunday Sun and clouds

Monday Sun and clouds

 

Track

Sort of look like this, they have made a few changes which can not be seen on this version.

 

 

Lap record seems to be 1:21.046 set by Rubens Barichello on September 12th, 2004 – Which is surely not correct for the 2024 iteration of the track.

[Yoshi]

Only one wish... Dry and hot weekend without any rain. Thank you.

[ARTGP]

The circuit has been completely repaved (like Spa). At Spa it made the cars much faster and reduced tire deg to zero. 

[ANF]

Looks like this will be the first race meeting at Monza after the circuit upgrade with new kerbs and gravel traps in the chicanes.

 

Edit: The circuit has been open for testing though. According to news reports earlier this year there was supposed to be new gravel traps in the chicanes, but I can't see any.

Edited by ANF, 28 August 2024 - 06:09.

[thegamer23]

Looks greyer and duller than before

[PayasYouRace]

The first chicane has been reprofiled slightly for this year.

​

[JimmyClark]

Ascari is apparently a lot faster too. Hope they haven't killed the challenge of it; its my favourite chicane of the calendar.

[ANF]

The first chicane has been reprofiled slightly for this year.
​

Oh! Looks like the kerbs have been left in place, but racing room have been added in both corners. Cars on the outside are less likely to be shoved off the track.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Bleugh, reminds me of the awful Bus Stop at Spa.

[Beri]

The first chicane has been reprofiled slightly for this year.

​

 

Tighter as it seems?

 

 

Oh! Looks like the kerbs have been left in place, but racing room have been added in both corners. Cars on the outside are less likely to be shoved off the track.

 

The Ascari kerbs have been lowered. So its more like the Mexico Esses now.

[Stoffel]

 

The Ascari kerbs have been lowered. So its more like the Mexico Esses now.

 

Ugh why do they keep butchering tracks...?

[cyclist]

Ascari is one of my favorite corners so it would be really crap if they butchered/sanitized it.

 

As for the first chicane: I always hated that corner, to me one of the worst of all F1 tracks. It seems the changes made are to avoid clashes like between Hamilton and Verstappen by making it harder to go around the outside. It looks even slower though. Will there be these high kerbs on the inside again?

Edited by cyclist, 28 August 2024 - 08:31.

[sportyskells]

Just like last week I hope for no red flag in the race but a safety car to mix up the race as we had none for ages

[jonklug]

Hot AF temperatures and 0 rain pls, ty! 

[DevilDare]

 

Wonder if Checo will order this delicious tuna and fries pizza again.

[PayasYouRace]

I’ve now lost all respect for Checo.

[Nemo1965]

Wonder if Checo will order this delicious tuna and fries pizza again.

Blasphemy!

[noikeee]

Tuna on pizza is legit, Americans for some reason find it super offensive but it's pretty common at least here in Portugal.

Fries not so much!

[jonklug]

No Checo no, esto es no bueno

[Nemo1965]

Tuna on pizza is legit, Americans for some reason find it super offensive but it's pretty common at least here in Portugal.

Fries not so much!

I was talking about the fries of course. What next; donuts?

[southernstars]

Perez should be dropped for that blasphemy alone.

[Anderis]

I was talking about the fries of course. What next; donuts?

Pasta.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Tighter as it seems?

 

Might be worth pointing out (as it tricked me when I first looked at it) that those pics are ‘upside down’, i.e. cars enter from the top and exit at the bottom. It looks like the kerbs are in the same position, there is just a bit more room on the outside of each corner.

Edited by IrvTheSwerve, 28 August 2024 - 09:07.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Is the whole re-development of T1/Curva Grande now abandoned? Seem to remember the thread on here, can’t remember if it was just on hold or abandoned.

[PayasYouRace]

As for the first chicane: I always hated that corner, to me one of the worst of all F1 tracks. It seems the changes made are to avoid clashes like between Hamilton and Verstappen by making it harder to go around the outside. It looks even slower though. Will there be these high kerbs on the inside again?

I still wish they kept the old double left-right-left-right version.

[PayasYouRace]

Is the whole re-development of T1/Curva Grande now abandoned? Seem to remember the thread on here, can’t remember if it was just on hold or abandoned.

I’d say so. It was going to be quite different, with the chicane halfway round Grande.

Urgh. Just remembered another year of Crofty pronouncing it “gronday”.

[Sabre1977]

I was talking about the fries of course. What next; donuts?

 

When I went to Italy to work 12 years ago fries in the pizza was a novelty for youngsters. It seems that this monstrosity still persists.    

[IrvTheSwerve]

I’d say so. It was going to be quite different, with the chicane halfway round Grande.

Urgh. Just remembered another year of Crofty pronouncing it “gronday”.

I was actually going to purposely misspell it as ‘gronday’ but couldn’t bring myself to do it… 

[jonklug]

The fact that they even serve something like that in Italy, what is the world coming to? Did the TikTok Italian guys lie to us all this time? 

[DJH63]

Oh! Looks like the kerbs have been left in place, but racing room have been added in both corners. Cars on the outside are less likely to be shoved off the track.

Cynically I’d say the opposite - the car infront will now take even more speed in, let it run wide of the apex and force the guy on the outside to take evasive action.

[IrvTheSwerve]

The fact that they even serve something like that in Italy, what is the world coming to? Did the TikTok Italian guys lie to us all this time? 

The amount of food ‘ragebait’ people post on social media these days is unreal…posting ridiculous concoctions just for engagement.

[FLB]

 

Wonder if Checo will order this delicious tuna and fries pizza again.

[JimmyClark]

The fact that they even serve something like that in Italy, what is the world coming to? Did the TikTok Italian guys lie to us all this time? 

 

There's a great Anthony Bourdain episode in either Rome or Milan (can't remember which) where he visits a guy who makes zany pizzas, and challenges him to make a ham and pineapple pizza that is paletable to Italians. 

[JimmyClark]

Hot AF temperatures and 0 rain pls, ty! 

 

Currently, it looks like you will get your wish. 

 

https://www.yr.no/en...a Brianza/Monza

[danmills]

 

Wonder if Checo will order this delicious tuna and fries pizza again.

 

I don't even think ASDA or Iceland would stock this. Good lord.

[Anja]

Is the whole re-development of T1/Curva Grande now abandoned? Seem to remember the thread on here, can’t remember if it was just on hold or abandoned.

 

Hopefully abandoned, there's no way it would be an improvement. 

[krapmeister]

Wonder if Checo will order this delicious tuna and fries pizza again.

Looks like someone chundered after a big night out...

[KWSN - DSM]

Does the 9m in the upper corner mean 9 million people looked at it?

[DevilDare]

Does the 9m in the upper corner mean 9 million people looked at it?

 

Fortunately not. It means it was posted 9minutes ago. (The original is from 2020 I believe)

[milestone 11]

Does the 9m in the upper corner mean 9 million people looked at it?

I thought you'd said in the past that you'd rather have cheese on toast than a pizza.

[Beri]

 

Wonder if Checo will order this delicious tuna and fries pizza again.

 

[Ruusperi]

I want to know why Variante della Roggia still has a tarmac run-off area while they promised it to have gravel trap.    If they're planning to have motorcycles races returned to Monza, there must be gravel, otherwise there will Luis Salom -kind of accidents waiting to happen.

 

According to news reports earlier this year there was supposed to be new gravel traps in the chicanes, but I can't see any.


 

 

[KWSN - DSM]

I thought you'd said in the past that you'd rather have cheese on toast than a pizza.

 

Hmmmmmm you sure that was me?

[PayasYouRace]

I thought you'd said in the past that you'd rather have cheese on toast than a pizza.

Pizza is just a form of cheese on toast anyway, or vice versa if you prefer.

[IrvTheSwerve]

I want to know why Variante della Roggia still has a tarmac run-off area while they promised it to have gravel trap.    If they're planning to have motorcycles races returned to Monza, there must be gravel, otherwise there will Luis Salom -kind of accidents waiting to happen.

 

 

That whole section looks awful since the trees have gone and they’ve turned it into a car park…

[cyclist]

That whole section looks awful since the trees have gone and they’ve turned it into a car park…

The trees were destroyed by a storm one or two years ago, not much they could have done about that.

[FLB]

Pizza is just a form of cheese on toast anyway, or vice versa if you prefer.

Ma che cos'è?!?

 

What?!?

[Beri]

The trees were destroyed by a storm one or two years ago, not much they could have done about that.

Well, instate gravel traps. You know, what they promised to do so.

[JimmyClark]

Hopefully abandoned, there's no way it would be an improvement. 

 

Let's get rid of the first chicane altogether, bank Curva Grande (as is the trend now) and tighten up Della Roggia a bit; that could be epic. 

Edited by JimmyClark, 28 August 2024 - 12:41.

[PayasYouRace]

Ma che cos'è?!?

What?!?

They’re both a slice of bread with cheese melted on top, essentially.