Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix (Gran Premio d'Italia) is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia. However, the race is more closely associated with the course at Monza, which was built in 1922 in time for that year's race, and has been the location for most of the races over the years.

The 1923 race included one of Harry A. Miller's rare European appearances with his single seat "American Miller 122" driven by Count Louis Zborowski of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame.

The Italian Grand Prix counted toward the European Championship from 1935 to 1938. It was designated the European Grand Prix seven times between 1923 and 1967, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one grand prix race in Europe. The Italian Grand Prix was also one of the inaugural Formula One championship races in 1950, and has been held every year since then. The only other championship race for which this is true is the British Grand Prix. Every Formula One Italian Grand Prix since 1950 has been held at Monza (except in 1980, when it was held at Imola).

After winning the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula 1 racing at the end of the 2006 season. Kimi Räikkönen replaced him at Ferrari from the start of the 2007 season. At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel became the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Aged 21 years and 74 days, Vettel broke the record set by Fernando Alonso at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix by 317 days as he won in wet conditions at Monza. Vettel led for the majority of the Grand Prix and crossed the finish line 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen. Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest polesitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages. His win also gave him the record of youngest podium-finisher. Uncertainty grew over the fact that Monza would continue to host the race as Rome had signed a deal to host Formula One from 2012. On 18 March 2010 however, Bernie Ecclestone and the Monza track managers signed a deal which meant that the race will be held there until at least 2016.

The Italian Grand Prix in recent years has been labelled as a jinx to the winning driver. For 7 straight races from 2004-2010, no driver was able to win the Italian Grand Prix and the championship in the same year. Over the past two decades, only three drivers have won the Italian Grand Prix and gone on to win the world championship in the same year: Ayrton Senna in 1990, Michael Schumacher in 2000 and 2003 and Sebastian Vettel in 2011. A total of 12 Italian drivers have won the Italian Grand Prix; 10 before World War II and 3 when it was part of the Formula One world championship. Alberto Ascari won the race 3 times (once before Formula One and twice during the Formula One championship). Michael Schumacher has won it 5 times and Nelson Piquet won 4 times. Ferrari have won their home Grand Prix 19 times.