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2011 F1 Italian Grand Prix

Editor — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:10:46 +0000

F1 fans are eagerly awaiting the 2011 Italian Grand Prix event. Taking place at Autodromo di Monza, the event consists of 53 laps around a circuit of 5.793 km, with a total race distance of 306.720 km. The lap record for this grand prix is 1:21.046, set by R Barrichello in 2004.

Dates: 9 to 11 September 2011
Venue: Autodromo di Monza
City: Monza
Country: Italy

Juan Manuel Fangio

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:50:11 +0000

Juan Manuel Fangio, also known as “The Maestro”, a legendary race car driver. Master of Formula One when it first began, Fangio was a 5-time World Champion. His record of wins was only recently defeated by Michael Schumacher who himself said that he could never be greater than Juan Manuel Fangio.

Juan Manuel Fangio was born in Argentina on 24 June 1911. His parents were originally from Italy. Fangio’s grand racing career began in 1934. He chiefly took part in long-distance races on the dirt roads of South America. Fangio won the Gran Premio del Norte of 1940, a race that takes some 2 weeks and covers a distance of 10 000 km. Following World War Two, Fangio began racing in Europe. Although one of the oldest drivers around, Juan Manuel Fangio quickly caught the eye of spectators. Fangio’s success truly came when he began racing with Alfa Romeo in 1950, winning his first championship title in 1951. In 1952 he was racing for Maserati when he sustained a neck injury in an accident at Monza. The next year he continued with Maserati, coming in second for the season. Fangio moved to Mercedes in 1954. He once again took home the World Championship title. Mercedes later discontinued participating in racing after the Le Mans disaster of 1955.

Juan Manuel Fangio went on to race for Ferrai in 1956 and won his fourth title. Maserati once regained Fangio in 1957. He again cruised to victory, winning his fifth title. Very few will forget his remarkable performance at Nurburgring of Germany. Fangio drove his last race in 1958, the French Grand Prix. An amazing driver many believe that no one will ever meet Fangio’s record for wins against starts.

Following his retirement as an F1 driver, Juan Manuel Fangio became a representative of Mercedes-Benz. He became an International Motor Sports Hall of Fame inductee in 1990. In 1995 Juan Manuel Fangio died at a grand age of 84 and is now buried in the Balcarce cemetery in Argentina. The tale of Fangio is one that will continue to be told for many generations to come and Formula One fans will never forget Fangio, the racing legend.

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Phil Hill

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:50:11 +0000

Phil Hill is credited with becoming the first American to become World Champion – yet he was not the flashy, colorful sort of person you would expect such a title to belong to. In fact, Hill wasn’t entirely sure that he really enjoyed racing. An intelligent and sensitive introvert, he openly admitted to having inner demons which plagued him throughout his racing career. Still, despite his mental obstacles, Phil Hill was truly a champion of the sport.

Born in 1927 to a prominent family in California, Philip Toll Hill Junior became an introvert at a very young age. He feared failure and often felt inadequate. He turned to music as an outlet for his problems before becoming absorbed in the world of cars. He received his first car at the tender age of twelve. The Model T Ford was a gift from his aunt and he dismantled it several times before learning to drive it. After dropping out from the University of California, Phil Hill went to work for garage owner who was also an amateur racer. Before long he started racing and in 1951 he was able to purchase a 2.6 litre Ferrari with money he inherited after the death of his parents. Despite his regular wins, Hill was plagued by the dangers of racing – to the extent that he had to stop racing for ten months in order for his stomach to recover from multiple stomach ulcers. When he returned to the track, he was making use of heavy doses of tranquillisers. He always attributed his success to the car.

In 1955 Phil Hill was invited to join Ferrari as an endurance racer. It was a slow start towards his Formula One racing career since Enzo Ferrari hesitated to put him in single-seaters. However he soon started racing Formula One and he won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after just two years in the driver’s seat. During his entire career, Hill was strikingly candid about his personal demons and emotional troubles. His introspection resulted in some unflattering comments on his personality but for the first time in his life, he was able to leave his inferiority complex behind. Before a race, Hill was nervous and edgy – but as soon as he was behind the wheel he seemed calm and tranquil. He often drove the best on the worst tracks in the worst weather conditions.

Despite his worries about the dangers of the sport, it was something which he was just too passionate about to stop. Thus, after a short period of inactivity, he simply found he had to race again. Things started well but after the tragic accident at Monza wherein his old team mate Count Wolfgang von Trips was killed in a collision with Jim Clark, his career started on a slow downward spiral. He raced for a number of companies before eventually retiring from Formula One and then from racing altogether. In 1971 he married his girlfriend and settled down to start a family. He thereafter led a quieter and happier life, restoring old cars as part of a rather lucrative business. — Phil Hill died on 28 August 2008.

Italian Grand Prix

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:50:11 +0000

The Italian Grand Prix is a time-honoured tradition in the world of Formula One motor racing. It is considered to be one of the longest running motor racing events and has been held on an annual basis since September 1921. The first Italian Grand Prix was held at Brescia. However, by the following year the course at Monza – which has since become the home of the Italian Grand Prix – had been built just in time to host the 1922 Italian Grand Prix. Although the Italian Grand Prix has been held at a few other locations over the years, the track at Monza has certainly proven to be the most popular location for the event. In fact, in the more than 80 years that it has been running, the Italian Grand Prix has only been held at locations other than the Monza track on five occasions.

It is interesting to note that the Italian Grand Prix was one of the two races which formed part of the inaugural Formula One Championship races in 1950. Prior to this, the Italian Grand Prix had only operated on a national scale in Italy. The decision to participate in an international race was well supported and the Italian Grand Prix features in the World Championships ever since. The circuit length at Monza is 5.79 kilometres (3.60 miles) in length, and it is lapped 53 times. This means that the complete race measures a total of 306.72 kilometres (190.59 miles) in length. Currently Ferrari is the constructor who has enjoyed the most wins, having taken 18 wins on the Monza track. Michael Schumacher has enjoyed the most wins at Monza with five Italian Grand Prix wins under his belt.

The 2006 Italian Grand Prix was the memorable event of German racing superstar Michael Schumacher’s last Grand Prix race – and Grand Prix win. At the end of the 2006 racing season Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula One racing. Whilst fans mourned the loss of this spectacular driver to the F1 racing fraternity, it opened the way for other excellent drivers to show their skills. Schumacher’s position at Ferrari was filled by Kimi Raikkonen at the start of the 2007 season.

The 2008 Italian Grand Prix was a memorable one for Red Bull Racing as their driver, Sebastian Vettel went down in history as the youngest driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix at the age of 21 years and 74 days. Despite the wet conditions, Vettel led the field for the best part of the race, crossing the finish line 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen. In 2009, Rubens Barrichello of Brawn GP F1 Team took the checkered flag at the Italian Grand Prix. The 2010 Italian Grand Prix is set to take place on 10-12 September, and no doubt fans are waiting in keen anticipation to see who will be victorious this year.

Formula One Tracks

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:50:11 +0000

Formula One is a popular sport the world over. Eagerly watched at live events and on TV, F1 is a sport that continues to attract large crowds. Of course, the highlight of the Formula One calendar is the World Championship. Held at Formula One race tracks across the world, top-notch drivers compete for the opportunity to win the title of Formula One World Champion for that year.

Formula One race tracks, or F1 circuits, are specially designed for high-speed racing – and speed is exactly what Formula One Grand Prix is about. Corners have to be carefully set so as to prevent serious accidents, but remain challenging. Certain Grand Prix circuits have been set in the streets of towns such as Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo and Spa Francorchamps Circuit in Belgium. Over the years that the World Championship has been held, the F1 circuits hosting the event have sometimes been changed. Some have remained hosts to World Championship Grand Prix races, whilst others have been used for just a season or two.

Each Formula One track is uniquely designed with several turns, curves and straights. Amongst the more challenging are Suzuka in Japan and Nurburgring in Germany. Bahrain International Circuit in Manama of Bahrain is set amidst the sand which was sprayed with a special substance to prevent it from blowing onto the track. The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola is probably one of the best known in the world, along with France’s F1 circuit of Magny Cours. Other well-known Formula One racing circuits include Australia’s Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Silverstone Circuit in England, Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, Hockenheimring of Germany, Hungaroring in Budapest and Canada’s Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in Montreal.

Viewing Formula One racing on television is a popular pastime for many, but F1 is best experienced live at a track. If you live in a country with a nearby F1 Grand Prix circuit, you will be fortunate enough to get several opportunities to watch the thrill of F1. Many make travel arrangements to attend major races at F1 tracks around the world. Imagine yourself standing looking out onto the track, the drivers are pulling up in their stream-lined cars. The engines begin to rev as they prepare to speed off down the road-way. Eventually the tension bursts as the cars race forward. During the race you eagerly watch the top competitors until the final lap comes. Chills shudder down your spine as the team you have been rooting for comes in first place. The excitement, tension and joy of a day at the racetrack is truly not to be missed.

Tracks

Imola

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:50:11 +0000

Imola is a picturesque little town in the province of Bologna which can be found on the Santerno river in north-central Italy. For much of the year this ancient Roman settlement enjoys a charming tranquillity that lends itself to romantic getaways and leisurely holidays. Imola is best known for two things – it is the home of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari and the San Marino Grand Prix. It also unfortunately known as the track where the legendary Ayrton Senna lost his life in 1994. Rubens Barrichello was also badly injured in that very same race.

The Formula One San Marino Grand Prix is named for the nearby independent republic of San Marino but it is held in Imola. The track as Imola was used for the 51st Italian Grand Prix in 1980 and became a regular home for the San Marino Grand Prix shortly afterwards. This Formula One championship race has been run at the Autodrome Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola since 1981. It was named for San Marino as there was already an Italian Grand Prix at the time. Since San Marino is too small to host a grand prix, the decision was made to use the track at Imola and name the Grand Prix after the republic.

Motoring enthusiasts are usually pleased to learn that the area surrounding Imola is home to a number of racing car manufacturers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. What’s more, a number of local roads have been linked together to form a test track for these manufacturers. This means that bystanders are often given the opportunity to see new and improved models in action as they are being tested on the public roads. Imola has a strong racing legacy and cars have been zipping around the area since 1954.

The first non-championship event with Formula One cars to be held here took place in 1963. However the racetrack at Imola really came into its own when, in 1980, the Italian Grand Prix was temporarily moved to Imola from Monza after a massive and tragic start line pile-up. The following year the Italian Grand Prix was moved back to Monza and the decision was made to launch the track in Imola as the San Marino Grand Prix. Though the track has been incredibly popular during the course of it’s racing career, recent accidents and deaths have brought up complaints of unsafe road-surfaces and other scruples. As a result the San Marino Grand Prix may soon end a long and successful period as a brilliant Formula One Grand Prix host.

The 2010 Italian Grand Prix will be held at Monza.

Monza Speedway

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:50:11 +0000

The Monza Speedway has been hosting Formula 1 for decades and its track is Ferrari’s favorite battlefield especially when pitched in front of the typically enthusiastic Italian spectators. The races held on the Monza Speedway are fast. So fast in fact, that a car’s speed can be reduced only when entering the chicanes – used to create a horizontal diversion of traffic (and can be gentler or more restrictive depending on the design).

No circuit currently on the Grand Prix calendar can beat the history, passion and speed of the Monza Speedway. Built in only 100 days, the circuit was opened on August 28, 1922 – making Monza the oldest, and most respected, circuit in use today. The circuit is built in the attractive Royal Park in Monza, a small town just northeast of Milan.

The original track was built as an oval with two long straights and two banked corners, the only part still in use today, is the start/finish straight. Although the rest of the original circuit is not in use, it still lies silently in the forest of Monza. The modernized track is the fastest in the Formula one circuit, with speeds up to 200 miles (320 km). Because of safety regulations the track has been revised more than ten times, especially the Prima Variante, the first chicane, which has been revised more than 20 times.

Because Ferrari sees the Monza Speedway as one of the two home circuits, the crowd are one of the most passionate fans in the world. Ferrari red is the color which is seen the most during the Grand Prix weekend. Work began on the track in 1922 and was completed less than six months later. After Brooklands and Indianapolis – and with a total track length of 10 kilometers – the Monza Speedway became the third permanent race track in existence.

The Monza Speedway is regarded by many as the embodiment of Formula One racing. Not only is it a fantastic example of a track that combines speed with skill, it also has a heart and soul all its own. It has seen some of the finest races of all time, but also some of the sport’s worst accidents. The names of the great drivers and the sounds of engines from years gone by linger in the grand old trees which surround the track in the royal park.

The list of famous victories and horrifying accidents is long, and all combine to make the Monza Speedway one of the most magical places on the Formula One calendar. For many there is nowhere that encapsulates the sport better than this circuit, which the Italians call “La Pista Magica,” or the “magic track.

Monza F1 Grand Prix, has been taking place on the Monza Speedway since 1921. As the largest Italian racing complex and one of the largest in the world, the Monza Speedway is set in the large Parco di Villa Reale. The park, almost 700 hectares, it the largest walled park in Europe and is more than 200 years old! In addition to the speedway, the park contains many other sports facilities such as an Olympic swimming pool, polo club and the Milan Golf Club, with a 27-hole course!

The Monza Speedway includes three tracks: the Gran Premio track, 5,793meters; the Junior track, which can be lit for night races, is 2,405meters; and a speed track with raised curves for setting records and technical testing, of 4,250 meters. The Gran Premio track is one of the fastest on the Formula 1 scene.

Jackie Stewart: The Flying Scot – Auto Racing

Editor — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 10:20:27 +0000

Sir Jackie Stewart, popularly known as “The Flying Scot“, is one of auto racing’s most distinctive personalities as well as being one of its most successful racing drivers. His unmistakable Scottish accent, high-pitched voice and boundless enthusiasm have made him the model for a host of race broadcasting parodies. In addition to bringing the world of auto racing, especially Formula One racing, to a wider audience worldwide, Stewart has been a tireless promoter of race safety and driver protection.

Born in 1939 in Scotland in the county of West Dunbartonshire near Glasgow and Loch Lomond, Stewart may be said to have cars in his blood: his father ran a local garage where young Jackie apprenticed as a mechanic and his family were Jaguar dealers. His older brother Jimmy was a promising auto racer who competed in the 1953 British Grand Prix for Ecurie Ecosse (Team Scotland). By 1963, Jackie had been signed by Ken Tyrell to the Cooper racing team, swiftly moving up the ranks until 1965 when he joined BRM’s Formula One team alongside English racer Graham Hill. Stewart won his first race at the Monza circuit in Italy.

Success came quickly for “The Flying Scot”, and by the end of the decade Jackie Stewart had emerged as a force to be reckoned with on the world’s Formula One circuits. Driving his trademark French Blue number 3 Tyrell car, Stewart captured the Formula One Championship title in 1969, 1971 and 1973 when he achieved his record setting 27th victory. With one race to go before reaching the magic number of 100, Jackie Stewart retired from auto racing to become a consultant and commentator. In honor of his many accomplishments both on and off the track, Jackie Stewart was voted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 and was knighted by the Queen in 2001.

Auto Racing in Italy

Editor — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 09:42:26 +0000

Sleek, red race cars that zip around hair pin turns. The Italian Grand Prix is a nerve-racking test of speed and endurance at Monza in Lake Como, Italy is truly unrivaled by any other stop on the Formula One trail. The locals call it “la pista magica” — the magic race track. You may opt for a simpler term: awesome.

These days in Italy at Lake Como may be better as a hang out for George Clooney, but each September everyone’s attention is focused on this 3.585-mile road course – where drivers attack the Grand Prix and spit in face of the grim reaper.

There may be no other sport in history where the unspoken desire is to see if the drivers will make it through the course in one piece. They’ll be jubilation if they escape death and hushed tones of despair if the worst occurs. And believe me, there have been some tremendous accidents during the Monza weekend.

Up until the mid 1950′s, Monza is the place where racing’s worst accident had occurred, Emilio Materassi crashed his Talbot opposite the pits in 1928, killing himself and 27 spectators. In 1961, Wolfgang von Trips cart wheeled into the crowd after a brush with Jim Clark killing himself and 13 others. In 1933, top drivers Giuseppe Campari, his protege Baconin Borzacchini and the Czech aristocrat Stanislas Czaykowski all died on the same weekend.

And each year the stories grow.

The Monza track has been rebuilt on several occasions, but the basic design is much as it was in the course’s heyday in the 1920′s. The original flat banking has replaced by the not-to-be-believed high banking that can still be seen today. While standing on that banking you will know why some of the most fearless drivers in the world lost their nerve.

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The cars, the drivers, and their ever-present dance-with-death.