October 15, 2008
MegaMonza
They call Monza 'The Magic Track.'
The above is how it runs now... but once upon a time, Monza was even faster. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce you to the REAL Monza!
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. It's the familiar Monza track mixed with a high-banked oval. If you've seen the movie Grand Prix (and if you haven't, why not???), the climatic scene where Ferrari driver Jean-Pierre Sarti crashes is at the bridge marked above. In fact, here's what the bridge looks like now:
Could you imagine today's cars trying to race through that? Merciful heavens.
The MegaMonza was a full six miles long, and it's hard to imagine brakes being used very much during a lap, just at the Curva di Lesmo (what is now Turn 7). Actually, I suspect that a F1 car couldn't handle MegaMonza these days... they're just not designed for the sort of banking found there. Like this:
Heck, they had problems with the nine-degree banking at Indianapolis. But, oh, it'd be glorious...
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The above is how it runs now... but once upon a time, Monza was even faster. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce you to the REAL Monza!
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. It's the familiar Monza track mixed with a high-banked oval. If you've seen the movie Grand Prix (and if you haven't, why not???), the climatic scene where Ferrari driver Jean-Pierre Sarti crashes is at the bridge marked above. In fact, here's what the bridge looks like now:
The MegaMonza was a full six miles long, and it's hard to imagine brakes being used very much during a lap, just at the Curva di Lesmo (what is now Turn 7). Actually, I suspect that a F1 car couldn't handle MegaMonza these days... they're just not designed for the sort of banking found there. Like this:
Posted by: Wonderduck at
10:37 PM
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1
I'm confused. Don't the drivers have to go under that bridge now? How else do they get from turn 7 to turn 8?
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at October 16, 2008 12:45 AM (+rSRq)
2
The track was reprofiled sometime in the late '70s, I think it was. Most of the banked turn on the left end was removed. There's some of the banking on the right end (near Parabolica) left... most of it, actually... and spectators can visit it (and F1 TV does a flyover of it every year, just to torment us).
The bridge is still there, but it's not part of the track anymore.
The bridge is still there, but it's not part of the track anymore.
Posted by: Wonderduck at October 16, 2008 06:57 AM (AW3EJ)
3
I understand that the track doesn't go over the bridge. But it still goes under the bridge, doesn't it?
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at October 16, 2008 10:55 AM (+rSRq)
4
Steven, you have it backwards. The image above shows the road under the bridge, which would be incredibly narrow for modern F1 and is obviously not in use currently. The roadway over the bridge is still in use.
Posted by: David at October 16, 2008 02:44 PM (khRGN)
5
Sorry, I wasn't clear. The bridge is no longer associated with the circuit. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's still there, but neither the paved area ABOVE or BELOW the bridge is part of the current Monza circuit.
It used to be. The reprofiling of the circuit moved the straightaway between Turns 7 and 8 to a space created when the left side of the oval was demolished, in part to create more space for the pit area, team paddock, and spectator seating. They left the bridge in place because it's famous... it'd be like paving over the yard of bricks at Indianapolis.
All that's left of the Oval these days is the bridge and most of the right side's turn.
It used to be. The reprofiling of the circuit moved the straightaway between Turns 7 and 8 to a space created when the left side of the oval was demolished, in part to create more space for the pit area, team paddock, and spectator seating. They left the bridge in place because it's famous... it'd be like paving over the yard of bricks at Indianapolis.
All that's left of the Oval these days is the bridge and most of the right side's turn.
Posted by: Wonderduck at October 16, 2008 04:23 PM (AW3EJ)
6
Score another one against Google, then. It definitely shows that bridge as still being there.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at October 16, 2008 06:23 PM (+rSRq)
Posted by: Wonderduck at October 16, 2008 11:15 PM (AW3EJ)
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