Round 13 of 22 · Italian Grand Prix

Italian Grand Prix

3:00 PM GMT+2 · Monza · Monza

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Monza

Monza, Italy · Europe/Rome

Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the Temple of Speed, is a 5.793 km (3.600 miles) circuit set within the Royal Park of Monza north of Milan. Its 11 corners span a 53-lap race distance of 306.720 km. Monza has hosted the Italian Grand Prix almost every year since the F1 World Championship began in 1950. Cars reach over 340 km/h on the long straights; qualifying averages exceed 260 km/h. Lando Norris holds the lap record at 1:20.901, set in 2025.

The layout is defined by long straights and heavy braking zones. The first chicane, Variante del Rettifilo, is where the field arrives at enormous speed on the opening lap, producing countless first-lap incidents over the decades. The Curva Grande sweeps right at high speed before the Variante della Roggia chicane. The two Lesmo corners demand precision on entry, while the Ascari chicane tests car stability. Two DRS zones on the main straight and the straight between Curva Grande and the second chicane create excellent slipstreaming and overtaking opportunities. Teams run minimal downforce configurations specific to Monza.

Monza has hosted some of the most emotional moments in F1 history. On 6 September 2020, Pierre Gasly won a stunning race for AlphaTauri after a red flag restart, one of the great underdog victories. On 12 September 2021, Daniel Ricciardo led a McLaren 1-2 with Lando Norris. On 14 September 2008, Sebastian Vettel took his first F1 victory for Toro Rosso in wet conditions at the age of 21. The Tifosi flooding the track after a Ferrari victory remains one of the most iconic scenes in the sport.

The timezone is Europe/Rome at CEST (UTC+2). A 14:00 local start is 12:00 GMT and 08:00 EDT. The timing mirrors most European races, with a comfortable afternoon slot for the continent and a morning start for the Americas. The September date places the Italian Grand Prix at the tail end of the European summer. Check Italy time and Milan time for conversions.

September in Monza is warm, with temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius and the occasional late-summer thunderstorm. The park setting, with mature trees lining the approaches to the circuit, gives Monza an atmosphere of old-world grandeur that no modern facility can replicate. Milan, just 15 km to the south, provides world-class dining, fashion, and culture for visitors extending their trip beyond race weekend.

See the full race schedule and session times at the Italian Grand Prix page.

Live Race Tracker

When the Italian Grand Prix goes live, this page transforms into a real-time race tracker. Every car plotted on the Monza circuit map, updating multiple times per second. No app to install, no subscription required.

The tracker connects directly to F1's official timing feed via WebSocket and streams live data to your browser: race positions, gap to leader, interval to car ahead, tire compound, pit stop count, and lap times for all 20 drivers.

Click any driver to see their full race data: fastest lap, last lap time, grid position, tire strategy with stint history, and points scored. The driver card follows their car on the circuit map showing position and gap in real time.

Team radio messages appear in a live feed as they are broadcast. These are the actual audio recordings from the pit wall: engineer instructions, driver reactions, pit calls, and celebrations. Each message has a play button. During the Italian Grand Prix, expect 40 to 60 radio clips across all teams.

Race control decisions appear instantly: safety car deployments, yellow flags, driver investigations, penalties, and DRS activation. You see what the stewards are looking at before the television broadcast catches up.

The tracker activates automatically 30 minutes before the session starts and stays connected through red flags, weather delays, and safety cars. If the session is interrupted, the tracker waits and reconnects when racing resumes.

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza starts at 14:00 CEST (UTC+2) on Sunday 6 September. The circuit runs 53 laps over 306.72 km at the fastest average speed of any race on the calendar.

This is not a sprint weekend. Practice, qualifying, and the race run across the standard three-day format.

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is the Temple of Speed. No circuit on the calendar rewards outright velocity like this one. The long straights through the Royal Park of Monza produce the highest average speeds of the entire season, and the low-downforce configurations teams bring here look visibly different from what they run anywhere else. The circuit has hosted a Grand Prix every year since the World Championship began in 1950, with the sole exception of 1980.

Monza’s history is inseparable from Ferrari’s. The Tifosi have witnessed some of the sport’s most emotional moments here. Charles Leclerc won for Ferrari in 2019 to scenes of wild celebration. In 2020, Pierre Gasly scored a shock maiden victory for AlphaTauri after a red flag restart, one of the biggest upsets in modern F1. The old banked oval still sits alongside the modern layout, crumbling and overgrown, a reminder of the 1961 Italian Grand Prix where Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators lost their lives. In 2024, Charles Leclerc delivered a commanding victory from fourth on the grid, using a one-stop strategy, that sent the Tifosi into rapture.

For European fans, the 14:00 CEST start is a comfortable Sunday afternoon. UK viewers tune in at 13:00 BST. North American audiences get a morning slot at 08:00 Eastern and 05:00 Pacific. Australian fans face a 22:00 AEST start, while Asian viewers watch at 20:00 JST and 20:00 CST. Check Italy time for the exact start in your location.

Under the 2026 regulations, the active aerodynamic systems should come into their own at Monza. The new ground-effect philosophy will fundamentally change how cars interact through the Variante del Rettifilo chicane and into the braking zone at Ascari. With Lewis Hamilton now wearing red for the Scuderia, the emotional charge of this race has an entirely new dimension, and a Hamilton victory at Monza in Ferrari colors would be one of the defining moments of the season.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is the Italian Grand Prix in my timezone?

The Italian Grand Prix starts at 15:00 local time in Monza on 2026-09-06. This page automatically converts the start time to your local timezone.

Where is the Italian Grand Prix held?

The Italian Grand Prix takes place at Monza in Monza, Italy.

Is the Italian Grand Prix a sprint weekend?

No, the Italian Grand Prix follows the standard weekend format with practice, qualifying, and the race.

Can I watch the Italian Grand Prix live timing for free?

Yes. whensport.com provides a free live race tracker for the Italian Grand Prix with real-time car positions on a circuit map, live standings, gap times, tire strategy, pit stops, and playable team radio audio. No app or subscription required. The tracker activates 30 minutes before the session starts.

Can I listen to Italian Grand Prix team radio live?

Yes. The whensport.com live tracker streams real F1 team radio audio during the Italian Grand Prix. You hear actual driver-engineer conversations as they happen, with a play button for each message. Expect 40 to 60 radio clips during the race.