Conexiones - An Italian Vision Of Future

It's Sunday, just some minutes have passed from midday. On both sides, crowds cheer and roar. Just in front, a couple of rear wings selling services of international companies. Mechanics are safely behind that sort of Adrian's Wall that divide the pit lane from the track itself. The starting lights go: red one, two, three, four, five… Off. The Italian Grand Prix has just started…

When people gather to reach objectives which in time, can be great , they shouldn't be meddled in nor bothered. On the contrary, these people should be supported in any possible form.
Something like this happened in a now far 1922. It was in that year, more precisely in January, that the Milan Automobile Club decided to give their beloved Italy a place where car races could be held. Having as an excuse the twenty fifth anniversary of the Club's foundation, the members of the Milan Committee decided to build the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. These pioneers were far from imagining the present importance of this circuit.

    But do not jump ahead in time, and let's return to 1922. There was a more hidden aspect behind Monza, several Italian constructors and car factories agreed on the idea that a racing car circuit could increase the commercial presence of Italian products, especially related to Italian makes such as Alfa and FIAT. This means that Italians foresaw the power of races in the conquest of foreign markets. Unfortunately there are many countries which still nowadays are absolutely blind to this reality.
    The track construction started on May 15th. Three months later Monza was no longer a dream but a reality. From that moment onwards, heroes and cars wrote the most diverse pages that enriched the history of the Automobile.
    Monza cheered the victories of drivers such as the first winner, Pietro Bordino, at the wheel of an 804 FIAT; the Flying Mantuan, Tazio Nuvolari, three times winner of the Italian Grand Prix; also with the same numbers of victories the Argentinean Juan Manuel Fangio or closer in time Jim Clark, Ronnie Peterson, Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, among other great gladiators who, after epic battles, were able to stand on the highest step of the rostrum. But from time to time, happiness merges with the bitter impotence of waving goodbye to drivers who pay tribute to their love for speed. Monza was the last track for G. Campari, B. Borzacchini, Czakowski, Taffy von Trips, J. Rindt and the three times winner Ronnie Peterson.
    As a Phoenix, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is reborn year after year. No matter what happened or happens, Monza is there, to put a traditional end to the F1 European part of the Championship.
    Well our dear reader, at full throttle we are guiding our imaginary car along the Parabolica to face the Retifilo and cross the finish line of the Italian Memory Grand Prix first.

By Edgardo Samuel Berg & Estefanía L. G. Ferreira de Berg

Thanks to:

Allianz Formula 1 Team for their invaluable material.
GOODYEAR Formula 1 Public Relations. (Photo of Lotus and Goodyear teams taken in Monza 1978).
Autodromo Nazionale Di Monza Società Incremento Automovilismo E Sport, SIAS S.P.A. Autodromo Nazionale Monza 1922 - '90. Bresso (MI): Febreaury 1991