Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix having been held since 1921. It’s held at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza which boasts the fastest average speed of any F1 track, 256km/hr and has just 11 corners; no other track has fewer.

In normal times, the race draws a parochial and rowdy crowd of passionate Ferrari fans eager to urge their boys on.

There are few great hotels near the track so if you’re after 4/5 star properties you’ll need to look in Milan.

A number of drivers stay at Monza’s Hotel De La Ville not far from the track, where a crowd gathers each morning and night in the hope of seeing their favourite driver. They also gather on the road at the main entrance where the drivers have been known to stop to say hi, sign autographs and pose for selfies from their cars. There is also a group of drivers who stay in motorhomes in a secured compound near to the track.

Traffic around the area on the weekend gets busy as the roads are tight and few in number so many park on the outskirts and walk in.

This is the only track with a podium that juts out over the track and in normal times, the crowd invades the main straight post-race providing a most colourful spectacle. But a word of warning, keep your belongings close as not all of those around you are there to enjoy the spectacle.