In the Lombardy district of Italy, south of the lake region, lies the city of Monza, just 15 km north-east of Milan. Just outside Monza is the Autodromo Nazionale Monza which has hosted the Italian Grand Prix since its inception other than 1980 when it was held at Imola. Yet the city has produced only one Formula One driver, Vittoria Brambilla.
Born in 1937, he first started racing motorcycles at the age of twenty and won the Italian national 175 cc title in 1958. Switching to four wheels in 1968 he made his way through various F3 and F2 championships before buying his way into F1 at the age of 35 and embarking on a seven-year Grand Prix career with 74 starts racing for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams.
The 1975 Austrian Grand Prix was meant to have been won by a local driver, Formula One driver Niki Lauda. Heading into the 12th of 14 championship rounds, the Austrian was leading the championship.
However, rain at the Österreichring was to shorten the race to 29 of the scheduled 54 laps and it was Brambilla who won his first and only Grand Prix driving a March 751. Second and third home were British drivers James Hunt in a Hesketh 308 and Tom Pryce in a Shadow DN5.
While over his career he gained a reputation for numerous crashes it is reported that after he crossed the finish line taking the chequered flag, he spun off and wrecked the nose of his car. He then completed his slowing down lap with the front of the car destroyed while waving to the crowd.
Brambilla didn’t have much luck competing at his home track at Monza. Competing in seven Italian Grand Prix, Brambilla retired from five with his best finish a seventh in 1976. Two years later he was involved in a multiple pileup in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix which unfortunately took the life of Ronnie Peterson .
Brambilla suffered serious head injuries when he was hit by a flying wheel. Eventually he recovered and it wasn’t until the 1979 Italian GP that he returned to F1 finishing in 12th.
Kiwis’ too have had measured success at the Monza Autodrome. The greatest being the victory by Denny Hulme in the 1968 Italian Grand Prix.
Hulme, the current world champion at the time, started the 1968 Italian Grand Prix from seventh position on the grid. Sixty-eight laps later he would take victory in a McLaren-Ford ahead of Johnny Servoz-Gavin driving for the Matra team with Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx third.
Fellow Kiwi drivers Bruce McLaren, also driving a McLaren, and Chris Amon piloting a Ferrari were also taking part. Unfortunately, Amon lost control on oil dropped by one of the Honda RA301s and his car flew over the barriers into the trees at one of the fast Lesmo corners. McLaren’s M7A had to stop for more oil on lap 35 and retired. Interestingly of the 24 starters there were only six finishers which would have been quite disappointing for local fans but at least a Ferrari driver finished on the podium.
Amon had tasted success the year before, winning the 1967 round of the World Sportscar Championship with Italian driver Lorenzo Bandini in a Ferrari 330P4.
In 1993 Paul Radisich won the first running of the FIA Touring Car World Cup. This was Radisich at his best, winning both races in a Ford Mondeo.
Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 driver Brendon Hartley has also won at Monza in the 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 Italia season, a championship that he finished third overall. Now he takes to the grid in his first F1 race at the circuit. While chances of a win are remote, he will add to the Kiwi history that has gone before him. The momentum is currently with Ferrari and a win for this great Italian team will draw short odds.
Ferrari have the most wins for a manufacturer with 19 but the last Italian driver to have won the Italian Grand Prix was Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966 piloting a Ferrari.
No matter who wins, Monza is a favourite amongst all F1 fans. It is steeped in history and emotion. If Ferrari win, that will be the icing on the cake.
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