First F1 race- what not to miss

Arrive early
Stay late

 

If you are staying in Milan leave as early as possible. The year I went it took hours to get there on the Sunday, Saturday no issues. If you can book a hotel near the track that would be better.

If you want to see any form of overtaking* on track pick a corner either 6a/b/c, 8a/b, 9/10 or 12/13/15.

Italians like to pick "any seat" make sure you insist it's yours

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* - no guarantee you will see overtaking*.

 

6A

6C


8A/B


9


10

 

12


13


15

 

23A gets you close to the cars pitting and the fence is low, I'd add that to the list

 

Monza is a great GP. Like some mentioned, I would go early and stay late. The F1 Fanzone is a great way to get the full F1 experience: pitstop challenge, F1 esports, F1 Driver Fitness challenge etc. Enjoy your time!

 

Go to Bologna...find a restaurant that makes great risotto, offers simple red wine, and has a big screen TV. Watch the race from there. Of course that is just me speaking...and age has removed all charm from crowds. If you do go...give a lot of thought and planning on how to get home after the race...and make those reservations now.

 

Most years there's a similar thread so they will contain more detailed recommendations already

My recollection is usually the Ferrari factory do not schedule tours around that week altho obviously the Museums are open

Public transport is good but chaotic for getting from Milan rather than driving (or do like the drivers & go on two wheels)

 

In 2016 we did the tour of the factory on the Wed after the race.

 

I used to go almost every year with members of the team, and the factory drivers would take us in minibuses. The two and three lane city streets become five lanes with cars everywhere, on the grass, on the pavements, going the wrong way down streets, it’s absolute bloody chaos but enormous fun, and it seems a matter of honour that no one actually ever lets the car stop for a second, they weave, jerk and screech around each other in a choreographed chaos. Best to stay reasonably close to the track if you can, we used to leave the minibus as we neared the park and take to two legs at that point, and jog through the park to the track as it was quicker than the bottleneck as the roads get to the park itself..... even Italian drivers can’t go through or over the bollards and trees to make lanes that aren’t there! Hiring motorcycles or mopeds would be the best and quickest way to drive yourself in unless you arrive at a ridiculously early hour.

The smell of burning clutches around every supercar stuck in the traffic must be the smell of success for the service departments the following week as processions of local car clubs congregate trying to get in too

You will find a lot of spectators that inhabit the trees themselves at parts of the track, sitting on makeshift scaffold platforms and everything. That can be fun, if precarious, especially if you partake in the beer and wine!, but nothing beats tree top tifosi for f1 fanaticism!

 

When I used to go to Monza we would stay at the on-site camping site. Usually in a tent, but we have done it in a motorhome too. You can get a ticket to the race if you want, but we would usually meet up with fiends who had motorhomes parked against the fence. They would build a 'grandstand' on the roof of the motorhome and watch the race from there for free! The campsite is just before the 1st chicane. We saw some great action there and had a view of the tv screen opposite.

 

And Do not expect a Ferrari victory.

But seriously, go early, have patience and expect to have a great time!