Back to the Cathedral of Speed: What you must know ahead of F1's Monza return

Veloce. Rapido. Svelto. These are some Italian adjectives to describe the word 'fast', which is exactly what Formula 1 can expect this weekend in Monza.

The F1 circus returns to the Cathedral of Speed, the fastest track on the calendar, for another action-packed Grand Prix. Though it's quite lengthy at 5.793km, F1 drivers can reach speeds of more than 300km/h on each of the straights.

And how fast is a lap? In 2020, Lewis Hamilton set a qualifying time of 1:18.887 to secure pole position. His average speed? 264.362km/h! 80% of the Monza lap is under full throttle, with the highest speed (around 350km/h) reached just before Turn 1's braking point. The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is run over 53 laps for a total race distance of 306.72km.

Rubens Barrichello set the race lap record in 2004. Driving the unstoppable Ferrari that powered Michael Schumacher to a seventh F1 championship, the Brazilian set a 1:21.046 around Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Eighteen years later, the record is yet to be broken.

A venue which means a lot to @PierreGASLY ??The Frenchman will never forget his first race win at Monza ????#F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/11hgyKXy7y

About Monza

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza was built in 1922 and needed just 110 days of construction. The original circuit looks vastly different from the one in use today, and is only used for special events and occasions. For F1, the shortened version without the embankments is used. On 3 September 1922, Monza was ready, and a week later, the first Italian GP would be staged.

After Brooklands (UK) and Indianapolis (USA), Monza became the world's third purpose-built racing circuit.

It wouldn't be until 1950 that the official Formula 1 World Championship kicked off, but the events before that