Monza memories – Italian GP in pictures through the years
This BBC Sport feature marks the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the most historic venue on the Formula 1 calendar, by presenting a selection of archive photographs spanning the race's history since 1950. Monza has hosted a grand prix in every season bar 1980, when it underwent renovation, and remains central to the sport's identity as the "cathedral of speed" and spiritual home of Ferrari and its tifosi. The piece underlines the circuit's enduring significance, noting it hosted the deciding race of F1's inaugural championship and, more recently, Max Verstappen's record-breaking qualifying lap.
The images trace key moments across the decades, including Giuseppe Farina's 1950 title win, the banked circuit used until 1961, and the fatal accidents involving Wolfgang von Trips in 1961 and Jochen Rindt in 1970, the latter becoming F1's only posthumous world champion. Other highlights include closely fought slipstreaming finishes in 1969 and 1971, the first female F1 driver Maria Teresa de Filippis competing at her home race in 1958, and a lighter moment from 1973 when team boss Frank Williams won an impromptu circuit race organised among drivers and staff.
- BBC marks Italian GP with archive photos of Monza's history since 1950
- Monza has hosted a grand prix every year except 1980
- Images cover triumphs, rivalries and fatal crashes at the circuit
New here? Start with this
Monza is Formula 1's oldest continuously used circuit, first hosting a race in 1950 and missing only the 1980 season, when it was being renovated. Located near Milan, it is known for its long straights and high speeds, earning the nickname "the cathedral of speed", and it holds a special status among fans as the spiritual home of Ferrari, whose supporters are known as the tifosi.
Over more than 70 years the track has been the setting for both triumph and tragedy, from Giuseppe Farina's title-winning drive in the sport's very first championship season to fatal crashes involving drivers Wolfgang von Trips and Jochen Rindt. It has also seen historically close finishes and notable milestones, including Maria Teresa de Filippis becoming the first woman to race in Formula 1 there.
The circuit remains a fixture on the modern F1 calendar and continues to produce landmark moments, including recent record-breaking qualifying performances, which is why its long history is regularly revisited by fans and broadcasters alike.