Formula 1

Italian Grand Prix, the enthusiasm of a sold-out Monza to reignite Ferrari

From season to season, the fascination with F1 grows, attracting more and more fans, as witnessed by record attendance figures at the Grand Prix. Monza is no exception: the numbers confirm a constantly increasing trend

6 September 2025

La Ferrari rende omaggio a Monza a Niki Lauda, a 50 anni dalla vittoria del suo primo Mondiale. Sul circuito del Gp d'Italia, la monoposto di Maranello avrà una livrea speciale, ispirata alla 312 T: la tonalità del rosso sarà la stessa della vettura del '75, non mancheranno le celebri strisce bianche longitudinali sulla carrozzeria e i nomi dei piloti in corsivo. I numeri di gara saranno coordinati, in nero, in una tabella portanumero bianca. Tutto il team domenica indosserà divise speciali: torna il logo rettangolare al posto dello scudetto. Leclerc e Hamilton avranno tute, scarpe e caschi che richiamano stile e colori dell'epoca. ANSA/FERRARI MEDIA CENTRE

5' min read

The Zandvoort Grand Prix had no shortage of twists and turns. What should have been an already seen film, i.e. a lonely race of the McLarens, surprised the spectators with a heart-stopping performance. In fact, no less than three of the Formula 1 protagonists (Hamilton, Leclerc and Norris) fell victim to an unfortunate fate and the three safety cars following their incidents created a major reshuffle in the pack.

Among the beneficiaries of others' misfortune were Isaac Hadjar, on his first career podium, and Oscar Piastri. The French driver in his rookie season led the Faenza-based team to the podium after Baku 2021 and is a serious candidate for the Red Bull seat for 2026. The Australian, on the other hand, won a race on the wire: pole position by 12 thousandths, leading the race for all 72 laps (but with a lead that never reached 5 seconds) and three restarts in which he maintained his position. Piastri now finds himself with the biggest lead of the season (+34 points), and with 9 races to go that's not a few.

For Ferrari, however, the weekend at Zandvoort was a disaster. Lewis Hamilton seemed more competitive than usual in terms of pace but lost control of the car twice in free practice and then again in the race, ending his race on lap 22, causing the first safety car to ruin the strategy for his team-mate, Leclerc. The Monegasque, author of two anthology overtakes against George Russell, suffered a knockout blow from Kimi Antonelli and also had to retire. Interviewed on Sky microphones at the end of the race, Charles showed all his disappointment but also his desire to go straight to Monza and feel the support of the Ferrari fans: "I can't wait, the energy is always positive and is needed after such a weekend. I don't know if we will win, I hope so, but it will be very nice to see all the fans again, and forget about this race!"

CLASSIFICA CAMPIONATO

Return to Monza

The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza has been one of the iconic motorsport venues for over a century: inaugurated on 3 September 1922, it is the third oldest permanent circuit in the world, after Brooklands Motor Circuit (1907) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (1909). The Temple of Speed hosts F1 for the seventy-fifth time, confirming itself as a historic and unmissable stop on the calendar, as demonstrated by the recent renewal of the contract until 2031 and the words of Stefano Domenicali to Sky: 'Monza is the beating heart of the history of this sport.

The importance of Monza prevailed even over Imola. Despite the fact that the Italian double stage has always been a great success in the world of Formula 1, Liberty Media's objectives did not make it possible to renew the Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna, which will be off the race calendar for next season, replaced by the new Madrid street circuit.

The Monza circuit is the reference point for Ferrari fans and a victory here can save a season, as it did in 2019 and as it did last year. Every year the unique atmosphere, with grandstands and lawns full of fans arriving from all over the world, makes the Monza GP something more than just a race: it is passion (especially for Ferrari), tradition and history. Also this year it will be sold out.

The impetuous growth of attendance in Monza

An analysis of the ten-year attendance figures at the Monza Grand Prix shows how the growth of interest in Formula 1 has been vertiginous. In 2015, Monza recorded 154,000 spectators: an important number, but one that, when compared to more recent years, appears contained. After a phase of moderate growth up to the 200,000 attendances of 2019, 2020 marks a zero year: the pandemic forced the Grand Prix to be held behind closed doors, with no attendance at all. In 2021, with restrictions still partially in place, attendance was very limited, 46,000, a far cry from Monza's traditional numbers.

After the pandemic, there was a real resurgence with an audience of 337,000 at the Temple of Speed in 2022. In recent years, spectators have been confirmed at more than 300,000, a boom that is in line with the global trend of Formula 1, which is becoming increasingly popular thanks to greater media exposure and Liberty Media's strategies to attract more and more diverse audiences, both in terms of age and gender. With more women and younger people following Formula 1, especially thanks to social activities and the Netflix series Drive to Survive, the sharp rise in Grand Prix attendance is not surprising.

PRESENZE AL GRAN PREMIO DI MONZA

Record spectator attendance during the 2024 season

Formula 1 under the management of Liberty Media is confirmed as an increasingly global phenomenon, as the official Grand Prix attendance figures show. The following graph shows the attendance figures recorded during the race weekends of the 2024 season: the average attendance at each Grand Prix for the 2024 season was around 288,000.

The absolute attendance podium is led by the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which attracted 480,000 spectators. This was followed by Australia with 452,055 and Austin (USA) with 430,000. Close behind on the podium is the Mexican Grand Prix with 404,958 admissions.

Although three of the four rounds with over 400,000 spectators were held outside Europe, the European Grand Prix always have a large attendance, unlike the less traditional Grand Prix, which show important but reduced figures. In fact, the Qatar Grand Prix with 154,973, the Bahrain Grand Prix with 100,000 and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with 76,000 spectators close the ranking. The latter figure is probably influenced by the context, as the Baku circuit runs through the city centre and spectators can easily watch the GP from the balconies of the Caucasian capital.

Focusing on the double Italian stage, it is evident that the attendance at Monza (seventh GP in the overall classification) prevails by far over that recorded at Imola, which with 200,000 admissions records 135,000 fewer tickets than at the Temple of Speed.

One of Liberty Media's objectives is known to be to increase the championship's following in the United States and the turnouts recorded at the three US stops are promising, with Austin at the podium in terms of attendance. Las Vegas, on the calendar from 2023, in its second season recorded a total of 306,000 spectators: more than Miami's figure of 275,000.

These figures confirm how Formula 1 is consolidating its following in strategic markets such as the US. The expansion of the calendar, coupled with strategies to better entertain existing audiences and attract new targets, suggests a further increase in attendance in the coming years. The trend is for a championship that, while maintaining its historical roots in Europe, will continue to strengthen its global role, attracting new spectators and setting new attendance records.

PRESENZE AI GRAN PREMI

GP Monza in the clear: programme and expectations

The Italian Grand Prix, as usual, will be broadcast free to air on TV8. Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 16.00, while the race will start at 15.00. The prospects for Ferrari fans are those of a revenge with respect to the last defeats and there is no doubt that the Scuderia of Maranello will do everything possible and impossible not to disappoint expectations.

As stated in a critical tone by 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve during the Zandvoort weekend, 'Ferrari is not wasting a single thought on this weekend: it is only thinking day and night about Monza, where it absolutely wants to shine, on a different circuit, with completely flat wings'. This trancing statement by the former Canadian driver is perhaps a malicious thought towards the Rossa, but there is a kernel of truth in it. After all, Ferrari has won 21 times at Monza, bringing home a victory even in seasons stingy with success.

The road starts uphill with Lewis Hamilton (five wins at Monza) forced to serve five penalty positions at the start for an offence at Zandvoort, and unlikely to help Leclerc in a Grand Prix where strategies can change hierarchies.