NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix

Just a few days on from an exciting weekend in Zandvoort, Formula 1 heads straight to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. Ahead of the event, Need to Know is your all-in-one guide with stats, trivia, insight and much more. You can also see how fans have voted using our F1 Play predictor game.

First and second practice will take place on Friday, August 30, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday, August 31, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, September 1.

IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix

Vital statistics

• First Grand Prix – 1950
• Track Length – 5.793km
• Lap record – 1m 21.046s, Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari, 2004
• Most pole positions – Lewis Hamilton (7)
• Most wins – Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (5)
• Trivia – The Italian Grand Prix has featured on the F1 calendar since the inaugural 1950 season, with Monza home to every race apart from 1980, when Imola played host
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 472 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2023 – 49
• Safety Car probability – 50%*
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 38%*
• Pit stop time loss – 23.71 seconds

*From the last eight races at Monza

FAN VIEW: F1 Play gamers can’t look past Lando Norris and Max Verstappen when it comes to who they think will win the Italian Grand Prix: Norris is the slight favourite to take the chequered flag (46%) ahead of Verstappen (40%). Charles Leclerc, who took victory for Ferrari at Monza in 2019 and has started on pole twice, is third choice to win (7%).

The driver’s verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Monza is one of a kind on the calendar, yet in many ways is the simplest track. It’s low downforce and all begins with braking into the chicane for Sector 1 and getting your car to stop as nicely as you can for Turn 1 – that’s the key.

In the middle sector, the Lesmos are actually more fun to drive than they look, with a slight camber. You can carry a bit of speed in, pick your line for a little brake and again through Lesmo 2 as well.

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Gravel can greet you if you carry too much speed into Turn 8/9/10 at Ascari – the first part of the corner is the crucial area – but it’s quite bumpy as well. Then stay pinned through 9 and 10, if you get 8 right, which takes you to Parabolica or Curva Alboreto (renamed after the late Michele Alboreto).

Sadly, they took away the gravel that was the charm of this final corner, but it’s still a cool challenge – attack it, run right around the outside to carry speed, get on the throttle as soon as possible and charge onto the main straight.

It used to be perilous with the gravel on the outside, whereas now a little bit of the exhilaration is maybe taken away with the tarmac run-off, but it’s still possible to crash and Monza is still a fantastic high-speed circuit.

Last five Italian GP pole-sitters

• 2023 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2020 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2019 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

HIGHLIGHTS: Catch the action from the Dutch Grand Prix as Norris beats Verstappen to victory with stunning drive

Last five Italian GP winners

• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2021 – Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
• 2020 – Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)
• 2019 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

FAN VIEW: There is again a split amongst F1 Play gamers over who will be at the front of the grid in Monza, but Norris gets the most support (35%) after his pole position at Zandvoort. Verstappen is the clear second favourite (26%), while Norris’ McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton are roughly equal, with around 10% backing either driver.

Tyre and strategy insight

“[An] important change for this year’s Italian Grand Prix concerns the asphalt,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview. “The circuit has embarked on a process of renovation and modernisation of its facility, aimed at ensuring its future and part of the first phase of this work has been the complete resurfacing of the entire track.

“In addition, some of the underpasses have been changed: the one at Santa Maria delle Selve and the two on the straight between the Ascari chicane and the Parabolica, along with building a brand new one linking the Vedano entrance to the Parabolica, aimed at keeping pedestrians and vehicles apart.

READ MORE: What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix?

“As is usually the case with newly-laid asphalt, the surface is smoother than its predecessor and darker in colour. This latter factor will have an impact on track temperature, which if the sun is shining could see it get hotter than in the past, even reaching significant highs of over 50 °C.

“In theory, the new surface should offer more grip, which will impact tyre performance and their operating temperature range. It is highly likely that track evolution will be very high over the course of the weekend, as the various categories racing at this event rack up the laps.

“At Monza, cars usually run in the lowest aerodynamic configuration of the season to reduce drag, in order to favour top speed.

“Stability under braking and traction coming out of the two chicanes are the factors that most test the tyres and, in addition, the lateral loads in the fast corners, such as the Parabolica, now named in honour of Michele Alboreto and the Curva Grande, should not be underestimated.

READ MORE: What is the weather forecast for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix?

“This is a track where the time needed for a pit stop is one of the longest of the year so, on paper, a one-stop strategy is quickest. In free practice, it will be important to evaluate what effect the new surface might have on tyre behaviour over a long run, both in terms of performance and of degradation.”

FAN VIEW: Outside of Norris and Verstappen, it’s very tight amongst F1 Play gamers when predicting who else will be on the podium. Piastri is seen as the likely contender, but Leclerc, the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Hamilton plus Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz all have backers.

Current form

It was advantage Norris last time out at the Dutch Grand Prix, with the Briton bouncing back from a slow start to take the lead and cross the line a whopping 22 seconds up the road from Verstappen.

After seeing his consecutive run of victories at his home event come to an end, Verstappen commented post-race: “We’re not quick enough”. The Dutchman still holds a sizeable advantage of 70 points over Norris in the drivers’ standings, but McLaren are now just 30 points away from Red Bull in the constructors’.

PALMER: Norris could still mount a genuine title challenge this year – if he fixes one crucial part of his race weekend

Should the Woking squad enjoy another strong weekend at Monza, that gap could shrink even further – and with nine rounds remaining, the title battle is very much on.

Another team that will be hoping for a good outing are Ferrari. The Scuderia took themselves by surprise with their solid performance level at Zandvoort, and this weekend they will be running upgrades on the SF-24. Can they take further strides in front of the adoring Tifosi?

Mercedes, meanwhile, were left confused by what Team Principal Toto Wolff labelled as a “totally off” weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, marking quite a contrast from their successful run prior to the summer break.

The goal post-Zandvoort was to analyse the data and come back stronger at Monza – where F2 driver Kimi Antonelli will also make his Formula 1 debut with the team during FP1 – so it will be fascinating to see if the Silver Arrows can achieve this target.

Further down the order, there will also be eyes on the performance of Franco Colapinto, the Argentinian having been drafted in to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams for the remainder of the 2024 season. Can the change help the Grove-based outfit to move closer to their midfield rivals?

FAN VIEW: In terms of who else could score points at Monza, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly is a favourite with F1 Play gamers after a ninth-place finish at Zandvoort. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll is another popular choice, while Williams’ Alex Albon and the Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg also have support.

Iconic moment

Following that aforementioned note about Monza featuring on the F1 calendar every year bar one since 1950, it comes as no surprise that our archives are filled with unforgettable moments from decades past.

One particularly special weekend at Monza occurred back in 2008, when a rookie by the name of Sebastian Vettel made quite an impression by clinching his debut pole position and race victory during a rain-soaked event.

WATCH: Five great Italian Grand Prix battles from the F1 archive

Just over a year into his full-time F1 career with the Red Bull-backed Toro Rosso team, Vettel mastered the slippery conditions to upset the establishment not only over one lap but also a race distance.

One of the standout underdog results in recent Grand Prix history, it sent Vettel – whose youngest-ever winner record was only recently beaten by Verstappen – on his way to a glittering career that included 52 more victories and four world titles.

Relive Vettel and Toro Rosso’s special weekend in the video player below...

Elsewhere at Monza

There’s more activity taking place at the Italian Grand Prix weekend as part of the wider Sustainability Strategy that Formula 1 introduced in 2019, which includes the goal of being Net Zero by 2030, leaving a legacy of positive change and creating a more diverse sport that reflects the world in which we race.

💡 Low-carbon energy generation system expansion

F1 has announced a partnership with Aggreko, which will see the low-carbon energy generation system, that has been trialled in Austria and Hungary and will be on the ground in Monza this weekend, expanded to be used at every European Grand Prix from 2025. The trials conducted so far have seen relevant carbon emissions reduced by >90%, with the system powering operational areas such as the Pit Lane, Paddock and International TV Compound.

🌲 Reforestation at the circuit

In 2023, a thunderstorm destroyed multiple trees across the circuit forest area. Since then, the circuit has begun a massive reforestation process, planting over 8,000 trees in one year. The Forestry Police have also donated trees to represent each F1 driver. In addition, the circuit has repurposed fallen trees into water fountains and benches across the Fan Zone.

🌺 Community awareness

Across the weekend there are multiple activations in place helping to raise awareness on key issues and support local organisations. This includes a collaboration with LILT Milano Monza e Brianza, where solar powered sunscreen dispensers have been set up in the circuit alongside skin cancer information points. Additionally, the circuit has partnered with local organisations that support the upskilling of individuals with physical and mental disabilities, both PizzaAut and AZALEA will be providing fresh pizzas and floral decorations across the weekend.

♿ Increasing access for fans

Multiple enhancements have been made across the circuit to improve accessibility. These include circuit tunnels that have been modified with ramps, increased accessible grandstands, Fan Zone accessibility activations and viewing platforms, and The Monza App now has an area dedicated to accessibility. The Awabots also return to give young people from San Gerado Hospital and Maria Letizia Verga Foundation the chance to virtually explore the paddock and meet their F1 heroes.

💧 Water refill

150 taps will provide free water across the circuits, an increase of 30% since 2023. Alongside this, a reusable cup scheme is in place across the circuit, and a food donation program will donate leftover food to local charities and look to repurpose food leftovers.