Summary
Your first Italian Grand Prix at Monza brings two different days at the circuit. In qualifying, jump to Qualifying, the drivers compete to set their fastest lap. On race day, jump to Race day, their starting positions, overtaking and pit stops all contribute to the result.
Watching from a grandstand, jump to Following the racing gives you a different perspective from television. You get to know one section of track as the cars return each lap, with Ferrari flags around the circuit and the rest of the race unfolding beyond your view.
What Makes Monza Different?
Monza sits in a large park to the north-east of Milan. Trees line parts of the circuit, while long straights lead into heavy braking areas. The layout explains its nickname, the Temple of Speed: the cars spend much of the lap travelling at full throttle.
The slower sections include chicanes, sequences of corners that change direction in quick succession. These break up the straights and create opportunities for overtaking under braking. Seeing the same part of the circuit repeatedly lets you notice how closely one car follows another and where a gap starts to open.
How Do You Follow the Racing From Your Seat?
Television switches between corners and battles. From a grandstand, you watch the cars come through your part of the circuit, then wait for them to return. That gives you time to recognise the team colours and follow a particular driver over several laps.
Monza has giant screens around the circuit to help spectators follow the wider race. The running order matters because two cars passing close together aren't always fighting for the same position: one may be a lap behind the other.
For a first visit, following one battle can be easier than trying to account for every car. A shrinking gap becomes something you can recognise on the next lap, even before either driver attempts to pass.
What Are You Watching During Qualifying?
At Monza in 2026, qualifying takes place on Saturday 5 September. It decides Sunday's starting order, subject to any penalties. There are three stages, with the slower drivers eliminated after each of the first two. The quickest driver in the final stage earns pole position, the first place on the starting grid.
The cars won't all be travelling at the same pace. A driver may be preparing the tyres before a fast lap or slowing down after completing one. A flying lap is the timed attempt itself, when the driver is pushing for a place higher up the order.
This is why an overtake during qualifying doesn't necessarily mean a driver has gained a position. The lap time matters. Late improvements in the first two stages can move a driver through to the next stage or knock someone else out.
What Changes on Race Day?
Sunday's Grand Prix brings the cars together for a race rather than separate attempts at a lap time. The opening laps show how the order established on Saturday holds up when drivers are competing for the same stretch of track.
Pit stops add another way for that order to change. A driver leaves the track for the pit lane, where the team changes the tyres, then rejoins the race. Stopping earlier than a rival can give a driver time on fresher tyres, potentially helping them move ahead once both have stopped. An apparent loss of position can therefore be part of a longer plan.
Around you, Ferrari has a strong home following. Its supporters are known as the tifosi, the Italian word for fans, and the red Ferrari flags in the grandstands make that support visible throughout the weekend. If you usually watch at home, sharing the reactions of the crowd is one of the differences you'll notice in person.
How Does Lake Como Fit Around the Racing?
For your 2026 Italian Grand Prix experience, Hilton Lake Como is your base for four nights, from 3 to 7 September. Reserved grandstand seating covers Saturday qualifying and Sunday's race.
The hotel gives you a base near the lake, with a rooftop pool looking towards the water. Your stay also includes Sunday night, so there's another evening in Como after the Grand Prix before Monday's journey home.
Chloe Burchell
Event Manager
Event Manager at Imperial Corporate Events. She’s hosted clients at everything from the Six Nations to the Eastern & Oriental Express, and she’s good company on the day.
