Formula 1 drivers who were able to tame the Temple of Speed
29. 08. 2024
6 min

Formula 1 drivers who were able to tame the Temple of Speed

Tereza Hořínková
News.gp journalist and a girl with big dreams

Formula 1 f1monza f1circuits f1history

One of the fastest and most iconic tracks ever made has been on the Formula 1 calendar for decades. Over that time the Monza circuit, known also as the Temple of Speed, witnessed many victories that wrote a new chapter of history.

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THE ALL TIME BESTS

Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher had a legendary record at the Monza circuit. The German driver, often related as one of the greatest drivers in the Formula 1 history, holds an extraordinary seven victories at the circuit.

His victories came in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006, all driving for Ferrari except for his first Monza win in 1996, which was a critical race in establishing his dominance in the sport.

The 2000 Monza victory was particularly memorable, as it played a crucial role in his journey to winning Ferrari's first Drivers' Championship in 21 years. Schumacher's relationship with Monza and Ferrari became a defining part of his career, which is why he always used to mark Monza as his favourite track.

Schumacher's success at Monza is closely tied to his legacy with Ferrari, the most iconic Italian team. His wins at this track were especially meaningful because of the passionate Tifosi, the fervent Ferrari fans who treated Schumacher as a hero. His victories often sparked massive celebrations and solidified his status as a legend at Monza and in Formula 1 overall.

Lewis Hamilton

The most successful driver in F1 history with a record of 105 wins and still hungry for more, is Schumacher’s main rival, when it come to victories at Monza. The British driver won the Italian Grand Prix 5 times in total, which equals Schumacher’s number of wins at the Temple of Speed.

His victories came in years 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. The win in 2014, was very important for him as he battled for the championship against his teammate Nico Rosberg that year. In 2020 during qualifying, Hamilton set at the Temple od Speed the fastest lap ever in Formula 1 history with the time of 1:18.887s.

Nelson Picquet

The Brazilian three-time World Champion, won the Italian Grand Prix four times, which puts him right behind Hamilton and Schumacher in number of wins at Monza. He secured his first two victories in 1980 and 1983 while driving for Brabham. Later, he won again in 1986 and 1987 with Williams, with the latter helping him secure his third and final World Championship.

DRIVERS WITH 3 WINS AT MONZA

The list of drivers holding 3 wins at the iconic track in Monza is not short at all.

Juan Manuel Fangio managed to win there in 3 consecutive years, concretely in 1953,1954 and 1955.

In 1956 his streak ended Stirling Moss, who later won in 1957 and 1959.

Ronnie Peterson dominated the Italian Grand Prix in years 1973, 1974 and 1976.

Alain Prost, the main rival of well-known Ayrton Senna, won at Monza in 1981, 1985 and 1989.

Rubens Barrichello secured his wins at the Temple of Speed in years 2002, 2004 and 2009.

The last three-time winner of the Italian Grand Prix is Sebastian Vettel, who won at the iconic race track in 2008, 2011 and 2013, with the first one being his maiden victory, which made him the youngest F1 winner at the time and left many fans speechless that day. That record was later broken by Max Verstappen.

MEMORABLE WINS FROM THE LAST YEARS

Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc's victory at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix at Monza became one of the most recent unforgettable moments for Tifosi, which most of the fans remember thanks to the famous line: “He won in Spa, he wins in Monza!”

In only his second season in Formula 1, the Monagasque driver delivered an outstanding performance under immense pressure, holding off strong challenges from Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. This win was very special and important at the same time for Ferrari as it was their first home victory since 2010.

For Leclerc it was a second consecutive win of the season, following his first-ever F1 victory the week before in Belgium, establishing him as one of the sport's rising stars.

Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly's victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix at Monza was one of the most surprising and emotional wins in recent Formula 1 history as it was his first one and there is a strong story behind it.

Driving for the AlphaTauri team, Gasly capitalized on a chaotic race that saw several front-runners, including Lewis Hamilton, penalized or retire. After a red flag and race restart, Gasly found himself in the lead and held off a strong challenge from McLaren’s Carlos Sainz in the final laps to secure his first-ever F1 victory.

This win was very important for Alpha Tauri (formerly Toro Rosso and now RB) as it was their first victory since Sebastian Vettel's triumph at Monza in 2008. Gasly's victory was celebrated as a redemption story after a difficult period in his career, including being demoted from Red Bull to AlphaTauri the previous year.

He dedicated his win to his great friend Anthoine Hubert, who tragically died year and a week before in a Formula 2 race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. He was the first one to send him a message after Red Bull decided to drop him the same weekend Hubert died. The message said: “Prove them wrong,” which was exactly what Gasly did in Monza, marking the strong story behind the maiden victory.

Daniel Ricciardo

A a major highlight of the 2021 season was Daniel Ricciardo’s win in Monza, which meant a lot to McLaren as it was the team’s first victory since 2012.

In a race where he started from the front row, Ricciardo took the lead at the start and maintained a strong pace throughout. The race took a dramatic turn when title contenders Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided and retired, leaving Ricciardo in prime position. He controlled the race from there, securing his first win since 2018.

His teammate Lando Norris finished second, giving McLaren a 1-2 finish, which was their first in over a decade, making it an unforgettable weekend for the team from Woking.

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