First F1 race, finally after 40 plus years.

Hey,
I am going to go to the Monza race this year, 2025. Never been, but have been a fan since late 70s.
Any advice, towards parking, staying in hotels/arbnbs, parking, food to bring etc would be greatly appreciated.
Still trying to find tickets, as its early. Any advice as to where you have purchased would be great.
This is a bucket list for me, so I am just happy to be on the track.. Listening to the cars run by at speed.

 

Monza is very close to Milan, so finding a place to stay should not be difficult. However, planning as soon as possible is probably advisable.
As for buying the tickets, I suppose you could look at the Autodromo Monza's website: https://www.monzanet.it/en/

 

Enjoy every minute of it.

 

I am really happy about this. Its beyond a bucket list to be able to see a Ferrari, the track, race.. I have only seen F1 cars at museums, or in a showroom.

 

I've never been to Monza, but I've always found that the most exciting place to sit is where most of the passing occurs. At Monza I'd say that would be near the first chicane, on the main straight. The start-finish line might be good if Ferrari wins the race!

 

I stayed in Milan and took the train to the race. It was effortless. Just make sure you leave lots of time to walk from the station to the gate. Lots of great places to stay there, restaurants, shopping etc.

Also make sure once the race is over to go off and find the old banking to walk on and take some pics.

 

Besides the start finish area, where is the best place to see the cars at speed? Watching some race highlights, there seems to be a lot of barriers, trees etc to keep you from seeing a lot. Might just be the TV.

 

I went ahead and bought tickets through, https://motorsporttickets.com. A friend of mine knew someone who has used them for years to go to the race. I got a 3 day package for seats in Alta Velocita A (6a). I may be able to see the start, but I will see the cars at the first corner..

 

We were just there in 24. Monza has changed a lot over the years. I was astounded at the number of people. on Race day they said there were 250 K people at the track. I believe it.

Some key things:

• Last year it was so hot, we bailed on race day. like 41C hot - 100 plus.
• If you take the train book a shuttle from the train station to the track. you need those up front. on race day they run ever 5-10 min.
• Be prepared to wait in line ALOT. we had Garden Club passes so we were in the Paddock, but once you are there and the track is hot, you cant walk over the pedestrian bridges. cars only through the under track tunnels, so you are stuck in the infield.
• If you fly in... make sure you have a car that will pick you up and take you to the paddock. the heliport is further than it used to be, and still a good 1/2 hour walk to the Paddock
• If you are getting a grand stand up towards the Lesmos - be prepared to walk a lot..... they have carved up how foot traffic flows, and its miserable...
• GA entrances - were backed up - I would estimate 30 -45 min to enter. they inspect every bag. leave your back pack at home... large purses not allowed etc... we had a separate entrance so it was not an issue.
• if you dont have hospitality- there were LONG lines for water ( free but you need your own bottle) and huge lines for toilets, and food.
• I have been to Monza 5 times in the past this was easily the worst - most people I've ever seen there... it was packed to the brim.
• The shuttle lines on the way out - 1.5 hours long .... it was horrible. mostly due to the heat... but way to many people.

Milan: We stayed close to Garibaldi train station which on race day was not as bad as Centrale... but Garibaldi only has special trains on race day. Milan was much more run down since our last trip there just 2 years ago. lots of homeless people.... so just beware at night. Milano Centrale is the main station and they have trains going direct to Monza all day starting on Thursday. pretty cheap. Race day even early the station is crazy full...

Our friends on race day paid an UBER driver to get them to Porta Vedano, which is way closer to the track than the shuttle gets you. However on the way out - they close down all the roads, so it was an hour walk to the station for the train or to get an uber... the lines were crazy as you can imagine. they left at 9 am, and got back at 11:30 PM.

Monza is a great track for sure. but given how popular F1 is now, I did not have a great time... it was simply way to many people. Even in our hospitality it was packed... Paddock club was packed, pit lane was so swamped you could not move.... couple that with 100F + temps... terrible experience.... I think that was my last F1 race. Honestly it was way better watching it on TV. for our friends it was their first permanent circuit race - they had been to Vegas, Monaco, and Canada... but this was their first traditional track. they asked me which one to go to, I said either Monza or Spa, but Monza has it because its close to Milan.

We did not have any problems with restaurant reservations at all. I made them about 1 month or couple of weeks before we went. Let me know if I can help you... dont mean to scare you off, but Monza is a lot. and with Hamilton at Ferrari this year.. I assume it will be even more next year.

 

Serraligo, and Ascari are also good places to see the cars high speed and braking ... anywhere towards or from Parabolica is good too.

 

Thnx for the insight. That is a lot to digest..
I will discuss this with my gf. She is far more acquainted with the region, and she already has a semi plan to drive in and park somewhere close. Supposedly there are places you can reserve a spot in parking garages, outside the area.
But now that I know this, we may rework things.
I think she wants to stay near Milan, then drive in early. Not sure right now, as I am on travel, in different time zones.
The only races I can say I have been to are Nascar races, in the heat, no cover for hours, and it is miserable. And I am hoping my patience, being a former Submariner, will come into play and just deal with it.
As long as I have water, a decent hat to keep me shaded, and appropriate clothing I would hope I am fine. I live in South Carolina and it gets a bit toasty here too.
F1 is huge, there is no doubt..
Your information is definitely going to play into our game plan. If I can see some of the race, that is fine.. I need to ensure she can handle it too.
I am going and it will be a memory, hopefully a good one.

 

This past year was the hottest I have ever been at an F-1 race. qualifying it was 38C.... race morning at 9AM it was 27C..... miserable. almost all the restaurants we went to, were too hot... the exception was Cracco - was super nice and cool... but the dinner was ...$$$$ expensive.

As for driving to the race close by... ? not sure but if you have a parking place that is a good idea.... but still the traffic is crazy and they close down the bus routes for the shuttles, I did not pay attention to how they went ... it was just a line of busses. For the size of the crowd i will say it was efficient ... especially for Italian standards.

 

PS I live in Atlanta ... and it was hot for me. super humid as well. Europe is not a good place when its that hot..

 

Well, lets pray it is a bit cooler. I figure I can handle outdoors here for one day, and I work in this too sometimes.
We are looking at several places now to stay. If I am understanding I need to be there early to get in to my spot. I do, according to the place I bought tickets, have 2 seats. I am sure they will be there when I get to them, and if someone is there, well, we will deal with it?

I think we will be alright, I hope.

 

I appreciate all the insight. We are thinking of trying to book a place in Monza for the night before and of the race.
I am under the impression we can leave and return to the track. Which may be a blessing if need be.
And what time does this race usually start, 2 or 4 pm?

 

I see it starts at 3pm. If coming to the race, with assigned grandstand seats, what time would be good to arrive to track to get in?

 

9am.

You really need not to underestimate the crowd and congestion/delay to get in. You seem to hope that you can just waltz in and out, not going to happen.

This is Italy, not the US, expect a noisy boisterous, sweaty, shirtless crowd that will leave you precious little personal space in lines, pushing is not uncommon, and wherever human cattle flow is dense such as in tunnels under the track etc.

No worse than the infield white trash at the indy 500, NAScrap or Sebring 12 hours and you will see no drunkenness among natives in Latin countries though...

Just trying to help you, I have guided Americans in Europe for thirty plus years.

As the saying goes the Amalfi coast is pretty but the villages don't have half mile long escalators from beach towel to cliff top restaurant like some clueless , naive tourists seem to think. Just hard steep, slippery stairs with centuries of wear.

 

I am not underestimating the crowds.
We are trying find the best place to stay, without spending an absurd amount of money. She is looking at the hotel/arbnb train to shuttle now.
I only want to see the F1 race, have assigned seating and getting there at 8 am to wait for gates to open at 9 then essentially sit for 6 hours is easy for me, but not her.
Tickets are bought, I will be in country the 4th. I will be in the vicinity, north more than likely, of Monza on the night of the 6th. The 7th will be our day to plan.
All of your experiences and suggestions are being put into our plan.

 

Yes good idea, I suggest you stay north of the circuit because most of the crowd will arrive from the south, from Milan; that is what I do at Le Mans; the crowd arrrives from the North: from Paris, Belgium, UK, so I always stay somewhere south of the circuit to avoid being in that flow and it works a treat.

 

SO true! The 1700 steps of Nocelle were part of our last visit. What a blast!!

 

@Steve40th396


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Great advice in this thread! Was also a bucket item for my wife and I. We were there for the F1 race last year - 2024!

I understand the temps were uncommonly hot that weekend. Glad I was acclimated to Texas weather.

My car and misc vids

 

Excellent! I didn’t see my first F1 race until the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix. What a thrill. Mario won it going away in the spectacular Lotus 79, on his way to his world championship.

I hope you enjoy your first as much as I did mine.

 

The prices don't seem crazy expensive?

 

I have seats to alta velocita A first turn after Start for Sunday. I am beyond excited. No matter what, I will be there, hot cold, wet, whatever..