#the lesmo curve

[cantsayidont]

1978 Crepax illustration of his heroine Valentina Rosselli, done as part of a prologue for a compilation of his 1965 story "The Lesmo Curve."

[stateofcharles]

choose your fighter - carlo vanzini's commentary on charles' wins edition

spa 2019: è qui il finale. ultima curva, quella a sinistra che riporta Charles Leclerc sul traguardo. IL PREDESTINATO VINCE IL GRAN PREMIO DEL BELGIO! CHARLES LECLERC CONQUISTA DI FORZA LA PRIMA VITTORIA IN CARRIERA!

monza 2019: passa alla Ascari, va sul rettilineo verso la Parabolica. è arrivato mercoledì chiedendo, la prima cosa che ha chiesto: chi ha vinto? dopo aver vinto la prima la seconda subito, consecutivamente. sono in otto, sono in otto e adesso diventano nove. adesso diventano nove. IL PREDESTINATO VINCE IL GRAN PREMIO DI ITALIA! DOPO 9 ANNI LA FERRARI TORNA SUL GRADINO PIÙ ALTO A CASA NOSTRA! CHARLES LECLERC VINCE A MONZA! UN TRIONFO, UNA GARA MAESTOSA, STREPITOSA. EMOZIONE PURA QUESTO RAGAZZO!

bahrain 2022: signori e signori, tifosi della Rossa, 903 giorni dopo l'ultima vittoria. 12 anni fa qua l'ultima doppietta alla prima, IL PREDESTINATO VINCE IL GRAN PREMIO DEL BAHRAIN!

australia 2022: (marc gene) ci prova il giro veloce, carlo! (vanzini) non ci credo, è fucsia nel primo settore, è fucsia nel secondo settore. attenzione ad Alonso [...] ma questo conta se vogliamo poco, relativamente. sull'ultima curva, anche gli orange in piedi, che bello. IL PREDESTINATO VINCE IL GRAN PREMIO D'AUSTRALIA, UNA PROVA DI FORZA IMPRESSIONANTE DA PARTE DELLA FERRARI!

austria 2022: giù in discesa, la sette. ancora 3 Charles, ancora 3 curve. la otto. la nove, che arriva adesso. la dieci. signore e signori, IL PREDESTINATO VINCE IL GRAN PREMIO D'AUSTRIA, CON UNA GARA INCREDIBILE, UNA SOFFERENZA INCREDIBILE

monaco 2024: inizia l'ultimo giro per Leclerc. sta passando in salita, lì dove prendeva l'autobus per andare a scuola. al Casinò. adesso in discesa al Mirabeau, dove si affacciava da ragazzino per guardare correre le monoposto di formula 1. sulle sue strade, dove è nato nel 1997. da papà Hervé, scomparso 7 anni fa. quell'ultima bugia: ho firmato per la Ferrari. non era ancora vero. quella bugia, non stava bene. per accompagnare papà alla pista di kart della famiglia Bianchi, a Brignoles, per provare per la prima volta un kart. è un boato Monaco. la piscina, l'uscita, l'ultima volta. la Rascasse in salita. a casa tua Charles, a casa tua Charles, a casa tua Charles, a casa tua Charles. CHARLES LECLERC VINCE IL GRAN PREMIO DI MONACO! PER LA PRIMA VOLTA IN CARRIERA, CHE WEEKEND, CHE EMOZIONE! una gara, forse la più noiosa della storia della formula 1, ma con un'emozione, un'attesa dentro, per un pilota che ha avuto mille sfortune a casa sua. la porta a casa così, Charles Leclerc.

monza 2024: è un'emozione, Monza. [...] Lesmo 2, Serraglio Charles, poi Ascari. (marc gene: classe campione del mondo questo). Ascari. è tutta una riga nera la sua anteriore destra e anche la sua anteriore sinistra. è incredibile, è incredibile. arriva all'Alboreto, alla Parabolica. signori e signori, 5 anni fa raccontavamo la prima vittoria a Monza del Predestinato, e allora TORNIAMO TUTTI INSIEME A CHIAMARLO COSÌ, PERCHÉ QUESTA È UNA GARA DA PREDESTINATO! IL PREDESTINATO VINCE IL GRAN PREMIO D'ITALIA, CON UNA GARA PAZZESCA, INCREDIBILE. SI È INVENTATO UNA MAGIA CHE SOLO LUI, SOLO LA FERRARI POTEVANO PENSARE, IMMAGINARE E METTERE IN ATTO. È UNA GIORNATA FANTASTICA PER I TIFOSI DELLA ROSSA, TUTTI IN PIEDI AD APPLAUDIRE [...] A CASA NOSTRA CHARLES, A CASA NOSTRA CHARLES. CHE MAGIA!

[here's the link with the translations to english❤️]

[viper-motorsports]

Cornering through the ‘Lesmos’ curves of Autodromo Nazionale Monza IT, Marc VDS Racing’s N°40 Ford GT GT3 helps inaugurate the 2011 Blancpain Endurance Series by earning a third place podium.

[mattseneca]

I did another one of these! I was lucky enough to be asked back by @fantagraphics to contribute notes to the fourth volume of Guido Crepax’s complete works. This was a true dream assignment: i got to write about the first ever Valentina comic, “The Lesmo Curve”, which also happens to be one of my top 5 or 10 favorite comic books of all time. Words can’t describe what this opportunity meant to me... and if 16 year old me could have known this was in my future, he’d have bust. Dreams do come true!! https://www.instagram.com/p/BuKyjqrFsd6/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1o942av428ah0

[crystalracing]

The Zen of standing trackside in solitude during an F1 practice session opens a window to the reality below the surface froth of a grand prix weekend. It’s out here that the real stuff is happening – right in front of your eyes and in a way that no TV camera can capture. The camera loses the close-up detail as it pans back to give the background perspective. You need both the perspective and the detail to properly see yaw angles and the dynamics of the car, how and when it rotates into the turn, what the fine intricacy of its body language is – and a TV camera cannot give you both, only one or the other.

Stand there tuning into the movement and sound for long enough and differences between the cars and drivers become almost exaggerated, traits very clearly defined. At the most basic level in and out laps are easily distinguishable from attack laps, though on screen even that’s not obvious. Out on track, you can often even begin to identify which Ferrari or Red Bull it is from how it’s being driven, no need even to check the helmet or the colour-coded camera on the roll hoop.

Long run cars heavily-laden with fuel are visibly lazier and less accelerative than the light-footed responsiveness of those on a low fuel run. But that’s just basic stuff; for example, let’s watch how Fernando Alonso is overcoming the Ferrari’s gripless front end at Rivage, Spa’s slowish downhill right-hander near the top of the valley. He’s taking an aggressive amount of speed into the turn and braking hard, still on the brakes as he begins to turn the wheel but then releasing the left pedal quite sharply. As he does this, you see the car’s nose momentarily tuck in to the corner; he’s got the turn-in accomplished without losing too much time, by suddenly loading up the front tyres and inducing a response.

What would normally happen then, however, is that the fronts would become overwhelmed and the car would begin to understeer, but he gets around this by momentarily reducing the amount of lock applied, giving the front tyres a breather before they stall, getting on the throttle to rotate the car further and then re-applying the lock a moment later. Making at least two brief separate corners out of the turn, he goes through like this every lap, tricking the car, keeping it artificially unbalanced, constantly manipulating the weight between the four tyres. It’s not textbook style but is devastatingly effective in getting around this car’s limitations on this corner.

Kimi Rӓikkӧnen at the same place in the same car is driving like a normal human being. His approach speed is only slightly tamer and he keeps the front loaded up under braking to get that initial response from the tyres, but his turn in is more tentative and as he progressively releases the brakes the understeer builds regardless. He nibbles away on the steering wheel, waiting for the message that the speed has dropped enough to give the front tyres some bite and all the while the lap time is bleeding away right there in front of your eyes, his car visibly slower out of the bend. At other slow corners through the season it’s the same story; sometimes Kimi’s speed has fallen so much by the time the front has gripped that he triggers the car’s poor traction as he gets on the power to accelerate out of the corner at places where Alonso’s maintained enough momentum to get around the worst part of the power curve.

It’s part of the driver’s job to adapt to failings in the car if they cannot be improved and in this improvisation Alonso is vastly more effective – and always has been. This is the driver that got to within 0.1sec of a fuel weight-adjusted pole at Monza 2006 in a Renault with severe rear bodywork damage from an earlier-exploding tyre. Left-rear winglet and chimney ripped off and severe floor damage cost what Pat Symonds later calculated was around 0.6sec of lap time. It should barely have been driveable, yet Alonso just incorporated its new traits into his rhythm.

That sort of thing has never been within Kimi’s box of tricks. His ace in the hole has always been his sublime feel for the car through fast corners, especially those where manipulation of the throttle is needed to maximise momentum. In this, his super-sensitivity to the messages coming through the steering is a great asset. In the 2014 Ferrari on the hard tyres into a slow corner, relying on that sensitivity was a liability and it was very noticeable that on the few occasions the tyre compounds were soft for the demands of the track, Rӓikkӧnen was often just as quick as Alonso.

Ferrari’s since departed technical chief Pat Fry has worked extensively with Rӓikkӧnen and Alonso at both McLaren and Ferrari and in Austin last year he talked of their traits and their differing form of 2014. “There are two parts to it,” he said. “One is that Fernando is more adaptive anyway and the other is that the limitation with the car and the tyres specifically hurt Kimi’s way of driving. Often by the time you get the front end he needs into the car, the rear becomes a problem. To some degree on the softer compound tyres it’s not bad – look at Singapore; when he went onto super soft he found a huge amount of time. But generally with this year’s car and tyres this is the sort of problem that compounds. You start saving fuel and you lose tyre temperature and can’t get a balance, then you push and it comes back. Fernando works the car and the tyres and he can drive around problems. The harder you are on the fronts, the better you’re going to be.”

With better front tyre temperatures you can carry more energy recovery from the rear axle because as the brake-by-wire switches the brake bias forwards as the ersK completes its recovery, the fronts are less liable to lock. With under-temperature front tyres you will be forced not to harvest the energy from the rear axle as aggressively by having less rear bias, to ensure a less abrupt brake balance change as the brake-by-wire does its stuff. This in turn will mean you will be using more fuel, having recovered less electrical energy. Which in turn will force you to slow further to keep the fuel consumption on schedule, which in turn can make generating front tyre temperature yet more difficult…. and on it goes, a viscous downwards spiral.

“Kimi was exactly the same at McLaren,” continued Fry. “He was always super-sensitive to the front end. When we had him and Montoya together we had about seven different front suspensions. To get the best from Kimi you need to give him the car.”

Fry’s mention of McLaren’s Rӓikkӧnen/Montoya line-up of 2005/6 triggers another trackside memory – from Monza’s Lesmo 1 in 2005. Rӓikkӧnen would approach the corner and tentatively apply some lock, the car would understeer, but a grippy understeer – where the tyre is still able to accept more lock, which he would then apply later in the turn. Montoya by contrast would arrive and put on a big positive amount of lock immediately – and the fronts would simply stall, forcing him to stay off the throttle much further into the turn than Rӓikkӧnen.

With that car, on those grippy tyre war Michelins, Kimi’s sensitivity to the front end was an asset – thereby illustrating that it’s not as simplistic as ‘this driver likes understeer, this one oversteer’. It’s to do with specific tyre and car traits and how they dovetail with how the driver is physiologically wired up – and lots of other things too.

On the one hand Rӓikkӧnen was less able to deal with a weak front end than Alonso in 2014, yet this was his strength over Montoya a few years earlier – but it was for different reasons. The Michelin was supreme in being able to combine lateral and longitudinal grip, the current Pirelli control tyre hates that combination. So Kimi could still maintain his momentum while feeling for the front grip of the Michelin, using his sensitivity to prevent it from stalling in a way that Montoya could not. But that same sensitivity when applied to a front tyre that will not accept more direction change once it is sliding is a limiting factor.

In 2007-09, on control Bridgestones similar to the current Pirellis but not as extreme, Felipe Massa was often quicker than Rӓikkӧnen in the Ferrari. The trick in slow corners was to simply drive up to the grip of the front tyre and not try to manipulate it – because it had no more to give regardless. Trackside at Istanbul’s Turn 4, a slow right-hander leading to a descent, I watched Massa repeatedly take time from Rӓikkӧnen by braking later, turning in and living with the understeer, just patiently waiting for it to stop before getting on the gas. Kimi would brake more lightly, try to carry more speed into the corner, nibbling away at the steering trying in vain to find a bite point and carrying the understeer for longer. Three different car/tyre combinations, three very different outcomes for Rӓikkӧnen‘s very specific style.

What we saw in 2014 was a pale imitation of Kimi Rӓikkӧnen. A lot of that was due to the specific traits of the car and tyre. But the burning question is how much? How much was that and how much, if any, was a genuine dimming of his skills?

If Ferrari can produce a 2015 car with a good front end, Rӓikkӧnen will find a step change in performance. Quite naturally, folk will then say ‘but imagine how much faster Alonso would have been’ but that may not necessarily be accurate. Standing trackside in 2015 I hope I can shine some light onto this question.

[sportscarww]

SCW INTERVIEWS: Mark Timms

Mark Timms took time out of his day to answer the questions put to him:

What’s your favourite shot?

There is always a moving answer to this question for me, I really struggle with my work when I look back through it. I can often shoot imagery that I look back on a week after taking and hate it, even though at the time I thought it was competent! With that said I’d say that my favourite image is still the Porsche 911 RSR GTE image I shot at Le Mans last year. I could see the image in my mind when the light came in and I snapped off a few shots, when I checked the back of the camera I realised I had a winner, I was so excited to get back to the media centre to fully realise the image and send it off, that feeling for me I do not get so often, so that’s why I would pick this image as my favourite so far.

Which corner is the best to shoot?

I’m not sure there is really an answer to this question. They all have varying levels of reward photographically. Monza really has some great corners, to witness a Formula 1 car slow with such ferocity, the turn in, out, and the acceleration onto the next straight is simply incredible. The two Curve di Lesmo corners and the Variante Ascari chicane provide lots of opportunities.

To take pictures of, sports cars or F1?

I would have to say Formula 1, there is just something about it, it is hard to put into a tangible, perhaps the glamour just makes it what it is, I grew up watching it, for me it has captured me. That being said, sports cars really has the access that Formula 1 doesn’t and never will either and that is truly a great advantage sports cars.

Most flights in a year?

I haven’t ever tracked exactly how many I have taken, I’d say around 30-40 return trips as a maximum in one year. There are many races in Europe that I simply drive to as I can carry more luggage which means the camping is more fun and comfortable!

What’s at the top of your bucket list?

For me it is the Daytona 500, I am not particularly a NASCAR fan, however that race for me I would love to document. The other is also a NASCAR race, at Bristol Motor Speedway, if you’ve never seen this venue you should check it out, a 0.5mile oval set in a stadium seating over 100,000 people, I can only imagine the possibilities at such an event for photography!

Dogs or cats?

Dogs, every single time!!!

Messiest person in the media centre?

Probably me, I like to spread out! If not me, then, possibly P. Photographer, he wasn’t impressed with Le Mans media centre vending machine options that is for sure!

What have you got away with?

Being a complete idiot and leaving the media centre without a memory card in one of my cameras, only finding out when I was too far away with 10 mins to go before a session. Luckily I had a card in my other camera and it meant the session wasn’t completely wasted, a lesson that I learnt for sure.

Thank you Mark All pictures used with permission

[mybookplacenet]

The Complete Crepax Vol. 4: Private Life by Guido Crepax

About The Complete Crepax Vol. 4: Private Life: This series is rated Adults Only DISCLAIMER: graphic sexuality The fourth volume of Fantagraphics’ groundbreaking Complete Crepax series puts the author’s sexy proto feminist heroine Valentina, the globe-trotting Milanese photographer, front and center in a series of erotic comics narratives. Most of the comics in this volume, spanning 1965 to 1985, have never before been published in English. It includes Crepax’s first foray into comics magazines—“The Curve of Lesmo”—in which our heroine is introduced as an adventurer’s sidekick! Elsewhere in this volume, she becomes a mother, outwits a gang of jewel thieves, flashes back to her childhood and adolescence, encounters a mysterious cello, and much more! Not only is Crepax’s impeccable draftsmanship on full display, but this deluxe package highlights the innovative visual storytelling techniques that made him an international sensation. Written by: Guido Crepax Targeted Age Group: Adult Buy the ebook Buy the Hard Cover Book Buy the Series Read the full article

[fisicol92]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_NR9SxFj_U)

Autodromo Nazionale Monza

Permanent road and oval courses

Road Course: 5.793 km / 3.600 miles

Circuit History

Monza is a true cathedral to speed, unmatched around the world for its sense of history and passion, fuelled in part by its long history and also the fanaticism of the Italian fans, the tifosi. With the steadily decaying remnants of the high speed banked circuit providing a backdrop through the parkland trees, the atmosphere here is like no other; a mix of speed, melodrama and more than a hint of melancholy.

Its history began shortly after the First World War, when the Italian motor industry was undergoing its first great ascendancy. Authorities began looking for land to create a circuit to test their cars and demonstrate to the rest of the world their superiority through sporting success. Gallarte and La Cagnola near Milan were initially suggestions and rejected before some far-sighted visionary proposed the royal park at Monza to the Automobile Club of Milan. This was deemed suitable and preparations were began in earnest soon after.

Rush to completion

A company was formed to develop the project, the SIAS (Società Incremento Autodromo e Sport), under the presidency of Silvio Crespi. Agreements were made with the administrators of the park and plans drawn up for a high speed track and road circuit. Engineer Piero Puricelli, who would go on to develop many of the pioneering autostrada routes across Lombardy, was entrusted with heading up the design and construction phases. Total costs were expected to be in the region of $16 million lire.

Vincenzo Lancia and Felice Nazzaro duly turned the first sod on February 26, 1922 at an elaborate ceremony. Construction would only get under way for a matter of days, however, before conservationists – alarmed at the number of trees due to be felled to make way for the new circuit – forced a halt to proceedings.

There followed several months of negotiations with Rome by the motoring authorities but, eventually, permission was sought to resume, albeit on a much modified course using as many of the existing park roads and pathways as possible, to allay the fears over excessive tree felling.

Much time had been lost and, with the SIAS having earlier proclaimed the circuit would be ready to host that year’s Italian Grand Prix, there was no time to lose. Up to 3,500 workman were brought in to complete construction at a feverish pace, with 300 wagons, 200 trucks and even a three-mile temporary railway laid out among the trees.

Remarkably, in just 110 days, the entire complex was completed. The combined road and high speed oval course, grandstands, service roads and other spectator facilities were all ready as promised for the Grand Prix. On August 20, three Fiats, driven in turn by Nazzaro, Bordino, Salamano, Giaccone and Lampiano turned the first laps around the 6.21 miles circuit, a few days ahead of an elaborate opening ceremony which saw 200 cars driven by members of the Milan Automobile Club head out around the course.

From triumph to tragedy

Those early days were perhaps among the happiest in the circuit’s history; here was Italy leading the world with both its cars and its facilities. The sense of celebration was to be cruelly shattered just a few years later during the 1928 Grand Prix. For reasons that have never been entirely clear, the Talbot of Materassi suddenly swerved to the left while overtaking another car on the grandstand straight, ploughing through the barriers and into the crowd. Materassi was killed instantly, along with 28 spectators.

Changes were inevitable. Spectator safety was improved and by 1930, a new configuration was created with the installation of a link road between the central straight of the road course and the eastern straight of the speed course, cutting out the north curve altogether. Known as the Florio course, this was used in a variety of formations in preference to the full course but, even then, tragedy was not far away. In the 1931 Grand Prix, Philippe Etancelin left the road at the Lesmo corners, careering into another group of spectators; three died, including Etancelin, and another 14 were injured.

The came ‘Black Sunday’ on October 10, 1933. On the south curve of the speed circuit, Giuseppe Campari’s P3 Alfa Romeo and Baconin Borzacchini’s 8CM Maserati slid off on oil laid down the previous lap by a competitor; both were killed instantly. Then, later the same day, Count Stanisław Czaykowski’s Bugatti overturned on the south curve and caught fire; the Polish driver died in the ensuing blaze.

These events led to the virtual abandonment of the combined and speed courses in the following years, further variations of the Florio or the road course being preferred. After one last Italian Grand Prix on the original road course in early 1938, the Monza authorities set about more radical alterations.

War stops play

Under plans drawn up by engineer Aldo di Rionzo, the banked oval course was demolished altogether and a new Grand Prix road course devised. This saw the installation of a new Vialone curve and extended back straight which lead into two sharp right handers to complete the lap and lead back to the start finish straight. Changes were also made to the two Lesmo curves and a new section of test track, bypassing the Curva Grande, was installed at the behest of Pirelli.

Spectator facilities were also greatly improved, with a new grandstand seating 2,000; a restaurant on the ground floor; timing and scoring tower; and 30 purpose-built pit stalls among the improvements. Sadly, the outbreak of World War Two meant these new improvements were never tried in anger. All racing activities ceased at Monza and the autodrome buildings were used for various purposes, including safe storage of the public Automobile Registry archives and even as pens for the animals removed from the Milan zoo!

In April, 1945, the grandstand straight was host to a parade of Allied armoured vehicles, which broke up the track surface. A little later, large areas were used for storage of military vehicles and war surplus, mainly in the southern part of the circuit. Besides the track, the pits buildings and stands also suffered and by war’s end little remained that was usable.

At the beginning of 1948 the Milan Automobile Club decided on complete restoration of the autodrome. As with its original construction, the circuit was readied in a very short time frame; in less than two months the facilities were restored and the improvements of 1938 could finally be used for their original intended purpose. Racing was back!

Return and revival

By 1955, ambitions had grown further and plans were put in place to recreate the high-speed banked circuit, albeit with considerably steeper banking (so steep it is virtually impossible to ascend to the top on foot unaided). This roughly followed the course of the 1922 original, save for the south curve which was set closer to the pit straight. The new high-speed loop was built on reinforced concrete pillars, rather than earth banks and cut through the Vedano course, necessitating a new final parabolic curve. Like the 1922 original, it shared its pit facilities with the road course and could be combined to form a 6.21 mile full course.

Other improvements to the facilities were the construction of two large towers with luminous scoreboards set at the sides of the central grandstand and fourteen steel towers (seven along the road circuit and seven along the high speed track) to give the race positions along the track.

The full 6.21 mile circuit was used for the Italian Grand Prix races in 1955, 1956 1960 and 1961. The high-speed track, in addition to numerous record attempts by cars and motorcycles, was used in 1957 and 1958 for the Monza 500 Mile races open to Indianapolis cars, with the Two Worlds Trophy offered as prize by the Monza City Administration. This was the first time US-style single-seaters had been exported abroad and, in true American tradition, saw the cars lap in anticlockwise direction.

1959 saw the SIAS introduce a new short course especially for the popular junior single seater categories. Called the 'Pista Junior’, it was created by linking the grandstand straight with the opposing back straight through several curves.

Tragedy once again struck during the 1961 Grand Prix, run for the last time on the full course. During the second lap, the Ferrari of Wolfgang von Tripps and the Lotus of Jim Clark tangled in the braking area for the Parabolica, sending the German’s car into the air and rolling across a spectator zone. Von Trips and 10 spectators lost their lives immediately and another five died later in hospital.

The disaster largely spelled the end for the full circuit with its banked course; Grand Prix races thereafter used only ran the road course, although it was used for the Monza 1,000 Kilometres, reserved for the Sports, Prototype and Grand Touring categories, from 1965 to 1969. Starting in 1966 there were two permanent chicanes at the entrance to the banked curves and the course was 100 metres longer but by 1970 the sportscars switched to the road course and the banking fell silent altogether.

Despite numerous safety improvements, the spectre of death was still never far away. The promising Bruno Deserti perished here, as did Tommy Spychiger, Englishman Boley Pittard and, most infamously, Austrian Jochen Rindt, the only man to be posthumously declared Formula One champion.

Speeds grew ever higher as the racing cars grew steadily more sophisticated and, after the 1971 GP proved the shortest and fastest race of all time, Peter Gethin taking his only victory for BRM in the last of the slipstreamers, it was clear changes were necessary if the circuit was to continue.

Enter the chicanes

In 1972, a chicane was introduced on the Grandstand Straight, a slightly clumsy slow-speed flick just before the entrance to the Junior circuit, along with a higher speed chicane bypassing the Vialone curve and named in memory of Alberto Ascari, who had perished at the same spot some 17 years previously. The track increased in length by 109 yards as a result.

Motorcycle Grands Prix continued to use the original road course without chicanes until the 1973 event saw another 'Black Sunday’. During the first lap of the 250cc GP, a collision at the Curva Grande resulted in the deaths of both Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini. The race meeting was ultimately cancelled, but more tragedy arrived 40 days later in a junior race when three gentlman riders fell and were fatally injured at the same point. From then until 1981, the motorcycle Grand Prix was transferred elsewhere and the only bike racing occurred on the Junior circuit for minor championships.

In 1974 the Ascari chicane was completely revised, opening the entry to the chicane with a more flowing curve and installing a broad run-off area with a sand layer and catch fencing. Perhaps the more classic Monza layout was established in 1976, when a new chicane was installed at the della Roggia curve and a left-right-left-right chicane sequence created at the end of the Grandstand Straight. This layout would continue unchanged until the 1990s, save for the addition of a lengthened pit lane in 1979 and new pit buildings another decade later.

Renewal and reinvestment

The 1994 season forced further changes on many circuits in wake of the death of Ayrton Senna; Monza was no different. The second Lesmo curve was tightened, reducing speed considerably, while the following year further changes were made to increase safety at key spots. Curva Grande was re-aligned, with its new radius some 12 metres further to the inside than previously, greatly enlarging the run-off area on the outside. Della Roggia’s chicane was also brought further forward in the lap by some 50 metres, while the two Lesmo Curves were realigned, some 15 metres further inside the circuit perimeter, similarly providing enhanced escape areas. Sadly, these changes also involved the demolition of the Lesmo grandstands, removing a fantastic viewing spot once and for all.

The final changes involved a rebuilding of the first chicane in summer 2000, the new almost triangular hairpin combination providing a new overtaking point, but doing little to alleviate the traditional first lap carnage; if anything the tighter, slower combination of curves might actually have made it worse. Following a disastrous 2009 World Superbike event, where riders were toppled like dominoes, a shallower slip road was built for bike racing, which eased the problems somewhat, although Monza authroties are evaluating further changes to run-off areas in order to satisfy the FIM for future years.

Today, Monza retains its popularity and is a staple fixture on many racing series’ calendars, Forumla One included. It is also a regularly used testing venue, while the parkland remains open to the public – you can even find an outdoor municipal swimming pool in the grounds alongside the main straight…

[lettera44-blog]

Jim Clark - box lotus - Monza 1967

Nella carriera dello scozzese Jim Clark brilla una perla più di ogni altra. Per Gilles Villeneuve è stato il Gran Premio di Digione del 1979, per Ayrton Senna quello di Monaco del 1984. Per Jim Clark è senza dubbio Monza 1967. La caratteristica comune a queste tre autentiche leggende del MotorSport, è quella di non aver vinto la gara che più di ogni altra li ha visti protagonisti. Il canadese della Ferrari si arrese a Jabouille e alla sua Renault Turbo e Ayrton ad Alain Prost, con la partecipazione speciale della direzione di gara monegasca. Jim Clark a Monza, nel 1967, arrivò ad un tanto così dal compiere la più grandiosa rimonta della storia delle corse. Giunse terzo, certo. Non alzò la coppa del vincitore, ovviamente. Ma in quel giro d’onore, il pubblico di Monza gli omaggiò un tributo di applausi degno della più grande vittoria che un pilota possa ottenere in pista

Nel mezzo degli anni 60 in F1 c’è una vettura dipinta di verde molto british e disegnata da quel genio di Colin Chapman che ha l’abitudine di lanciare il cappello in aria dopo ogni vittoria. Per sua fortuna, è costretto a raccogliere tantissime volte quel cappello da terra, mentre Enzo Ferrari osserva da bordo pista, con lo sguardo infuriato nascosto dagli inseparabili occhiali scuri. Le sue vetture, le fantastiche Lotus, sono dannatamente belle. Leggere, filanti. Ogni elemento è alleggerito al massimo, limato, tornito, rimpicciolito. Tanti accusano Colin di esagerare. Lo accusano di mettere in pista vetture pericolose. Come se poi ci volesse Chapman a rendere pericolosa una lamina di acciaio sottile, spinta da 400 cv su quattro gomme che oggi non monterebbero neanche ad un passeggino.

Il legame tra Chapman e Jim Clark è fortissimo. Lo scozzese forma assieme a Graham Hill una coppia formidabile in pista. Le auto si rompono spesso, perché quando si gioca con gli spessori è normale che ci sia una certa tendenza al cedimento strutturale. Ma sono velocissime e se fai il pilota di F1 negli anni 60, ti basta questo. Quando il circus della F1 arriva a Monza nel settembre del 1967, Jim Clark ha già vinto due titoli di campione del mondo nel 63 e nel 65. La stagione non sta andando benissimo e Jim Clark ha raccolto solo due vittorie ed un sesto posto nelle gare in cui è arrivato al traguardo. In tutte le altre nisba. La dura legge di Chapman colpisce duro come nel 66, quando restò a piedi ben sei volte su nove con il n°1 sul musetto.

Durante le qualifiche i piloti riescono a mettere assieme pochi giri puliti, prima che un temporale colpisca il tracciato brianzolo. La configurazione di Monza è quella originale. Chicane neanche a parlarne. Le curve di Lesmo sono da infarto e la Parabolica è degna dei peggiori banking americani. Aggiungete aerodinamica zero, telai quanto meno discutibili e gomme che non rinfrescano neanche l’alito ed avrete il quadro piuttosto concreto per comprendere al massimo il rispetto dovuto al tracciato dai piloti dell��epoca. L’appellativo “Tempio della velocità” non cadde a caso su quel magnifico assieme di rettilinei e finte curve. Correre con il bagnato a Monza, equivale a tentare la roulette russa con cinque colpi su sei nel tamburo. Dopo aver già sparato il primo colpo.

Sul bagnato non gira praticamente nessuno, tranne Surtees che porta in gara la nuova Honda RA300, la vettura voluta da Mr. Soichiro per dimostrare che in Giappone fanno sul serio quando si parla di racing. Nei pochi giri fatti sull’asfalto asciutto, Jim Clark ha demolito il record della pista che apparteneva alla Ferrari. Il commendatore Ferrari, non la prende benissimo. La Pole resta allo scozzese, solo che lo start della gara si può condensare in tre parole pregne di significato: un autentico casino!

La Direzione Gara va in bambola totale e il via viene dato 30 secondi prima del dovuto. Alcune vetture si lanciano prima della bandiera e anche lo stesso Jim Clark viene tamponato da Amon partito meglio alle sue spalle. Il serpentone di vettura inizia a lasciare il rettilineo del traguardo, tra le urla lancinanti di motori a 6,8,12 e 16 cilindri. Alla faccia della F1 di oggi, in cui neanche Mozart bendato riuscirebbe a distinguere una Ferrari da una Mercedes.

In testa scatta Sir Jack Brabham, che ha già qualche annetto sulle spalle ma resta un mastino incredibile quando si va in gara. Alle sue spalle Dan Gurney sulla sua Eagle e la coppia Lotus di Hill e Clark, che riesce ad arginare la pessima partenza e spinge forte. Che Jim e la sua Lotus 49 siano in giornata lo si capisce subito, perché dopo tre giri lo scozzese ha già sverniciato il compagno di team e Brabham, che nel frattempo ha ceduto il passo allo yankee Gurney.

Anche per l’americano la sagoma verde della Lotus di Clark prende forma molto velocemente negli specchietti e all’ingresso della Parabolica lo passa in staccata, prendendosi la prima posizione di forza. Da quel momento in poi, Jim Clark detta legge imponendo il proprio ritmo che risulta inavvicinabile per tutti i rivali. Messo qualche secondo di vantaggio tra sé e gli avversari, Clark si limita a gestire il margine conquistato. Ma la legge di Chapman lo attende e inizia a perdere colpi in pista. All’inizio non sembra capire cosa lo stia rallentando, tanto da non accennare a chiudere il gas in rettilineo nonostante la Lotus 49 proceda sinuosa come un serpente posseduto. Iniziano a passarlo tutti e quel gran signore di Jack Brabham lo affianca per segnalargli che ha una gomma posteriore che si sta afflosciando. Per poco non esce di pista nel tentativo di avvertire il pilota della Lotus. Ve l’immaginate oggi Hamilton che affianca Alonso per avvisarlo che sta perdendo l’ala posteriore? Altri tempi, altri piloti e soprattutto altri uomini.

Jim Clark finalmente molla la presa e rientra ai box, mentre in testa alla gara Hill, Hulme e Brabham prendono il largo. Il pit stop non è esattamente da record e Jim riprende la pista con più di un giro di svantaggio dagli illustri colleghi in testa alla gara. Tantissimi altri piloti in una situazione analoga avrebbero probabilmente deposto le armi, cercando semplicemente di portare la vettura al traguardo. Non è il caso di considerare Jim Clark tra questi, visto che al rientro in pista lo scozzese prende un bel respiro e dopo si cala nella più clamorosa rincorsa della storia delle corse. Quando la sua Lotus 49 rientra in gara si trova in ultima posizione e Jim impiega solo otto giri per riportarla in undicesima posizione, a ridosso della top ten e soprattutto a portata di tiro per sdoppiarsi dai primi della gara.

Passa i battistrada con la semplicità con cui uno squalo bianco azzanna una biondina in un film horror. Spielberg non ha ancora girato The Jaws, ma il motivetto del film è incredibilmente appropriato per descrivere la circostanza. Al giro n°33 Jim Clark raggiunge il compagno di team Baghetti che si trova in settima piazza, mentre davanti si ferma Hulme. La classifica vede Brabham condurre su Surtees e Chris Amon con la Ferrari. Alle loro spalle Hill, Clark e Baghetti che formano un trenino tutto Lotus alla caccia del podio.

Il primo del terzetto di Chapman a mollare è proprio Baghetti, che vede il proprio Cosworth rendere l’anima al Dio dei motori, facendo venire più di un mal di testa ai tecnici Lotus. Monza è un tracciato durissimo per i motori e Jim Clark sta spingendo come un matto da inizio gara. Non sbaglia una cambiata e accarezza le traiettorie senza mai guidare di forza. Ma le buone maniere al volante e il talento immenso dello scozzese non sono una garanzia per l’affidabilità della macchina.

In effetti anche un’altra Lotus saluta la compagnia, ma è quella di Hill. Il suo V8 si ammutolisce proprio quando iniziano i problemi anche per la Ferrari di Amon. A questo punto Clark si trova terzo, e sta per coronare la rimonta ricongiungendosi con Brabham e Surtees, che sta facendo un’impresa sulla Honda assemblata pochi giorni prima della gara. Mentre la folla è letteralmente in delirio, lo scozzese della Lotus passa entrambi gli avversari nello stesso giro, uno alla Parabolica e l’altro alla Curva Grande, la prima dopo il rettilineo dei box.

A questo punto sembra davvero fatta, visto il ritmo insostenibile che Clark è riuscito a tenere per tutta la gara. Ma la tanto temuta legge di Chapman bussa alla porta proprio quando inizia l’ultimo giro. La Lotus inizia a perdere terreno, singhiozzando in rettilineo. Sembra che il carburante sia agli sgoccioli e a Jim Clark non resta che pelare il gas, sperando che il Cosworth vada ad aria per mezzo giro. L’attenzione si sposta per qualche secondo su Surtees e Brabham, con il pilota Honda regala una fantastica gioia a Mr Soichiro Honda. Ma il pubblico è tutto per Clark e per la sua singhiozzante Lotus che lo porta al traguardo prima di piantarlo in asso.

La pagina di storia è scritta, anche se la rimonta non è stata coronata da una vittoria. Cambia poco, perché tutti ricorderanno Monza 1967 per il terzo posto di Jim Clark e in pochi ricorderanno che Surtees ha vinto la gara con la Honda di un matto giapponese che venne in Italia ad insegnare al grande Maestro come si costruisce una F1. Per la cronaca, la benzina c’era ancora nel serbatoio di Clark, ma il Cosworth iniziò ad avere problemi di pescaggio. Se ne accorsero i tecnici subito dopo la gara. La legge di Chapman aveva colpito ancora, ma questo non gli impedì di lanciare il cappellino in aria e farlo ricadere sull’asfalto sporco. Era “solo” un terzo posto, ma ne valeva incredibilmente la pena.

[okmugello]

Prima della gara di Monza Max Mugelli ci era parso decisamente ottimista, tanto da dichiarare apertamente di puntare al podio come risultato minimo e di avere la vittoria come obiettivo. Al contrario questa volta il nostro Max si è dovuto ricredere: arrivato terzo al traguardo in gara 1, riceve una inspiegabile penalizzazione di dieci secondi retrocedendo dunque al sesto posto. In gara 2 invece, la rottura del radiatore in seguito ad un contatto ad un giro dalla fine (che lo costringerà al ritiro) impedisce a Max di lottare per il terzo posto fino alla conclusione della gara.

Max, iniziamo con l’episodio più controverso dell’intero fine settimana, ovvero la penalità di dieci secondi che ti è stata inflitta in gara 1. Cosa ci vuoi dire al riguardo?

Riassumo brevemente i fatti, dato che ne abbiamo parlato ampiamente nel comunicato successivo a gara 1. Mentre ero in terza posizione, sono stato penalizzato di dieci secondi per una supposta azione pericolosa ai danni dell’Audi di Reicher. Ad eccezione del direttore di gara, tutti hanno visto che non ho commesso alcuna irregolarità, così come le immagini televisive testimoniano ampiamente e come il mio on board camera chiarisce ancora meglio. Tra di noi c’è stato un leggerissimo contatto alla prima variante che non ha danneggiato nessuno dei due. Contatti di questo genere accadono quotidianamente in tutti i circuiti del mondo, senza che a nessun direttore di gara salti in testa l’idea di penalizzare i piloti per questo, ma questa volta a Monza devono avere pensato diversamente. Non voglio dilungarmi oltre, dico solo che sono transitato terzo sul traguardo, ma la decisione presa dalla direzione gara mi ha privato da un lato di un podio meritato, dall’altro toglie credibilità al campionato stesso e all’automobilismo sportivo in generale. Gli spettatori vogliono spettacolo e invece queste decisioni dei commissari sportivi lo limitano notevolmente.

Facciamo un passo indietro e soffermiamoci sulle qualifiche.

Finita la sessione ero abbastanza soddisfatto, anche se avevo iniziato a capire che Seat, Honda ed anche Opel erano molto più performanti su questo circuito di quanto avrei immaginato. Nel mio giro migliore in qualifica 1 sono state esposte le bandiere gialle e ho dovuto per regolamento alzare il piede dall’acceleratore, altrimenti avrei potuto conquistare la seconda fila. In qualifica 2 invece ho tirato fuori dal cilindro un giro quasi perfetto per le potenzialità della vettura concludendo al terzo posto, anche se fino a pochi secondi dalla fine era in seconda posizione che però mi è stata soffiata dalla Opel di Giacon. Resta il fatto che pagavo regolarmente nel secondo settore (quello che comprende variante della Roggia, Lesmo 1 e Lesmo 2) circa mezzo secondo dalla Seat e dalla Honda, questo perché la vettura soffriva di un fastidiosissimo sottosterzo.

Messa in archivio gara 1, le speranze erano riposte tutte in gara 2, ma la partenza ti ha complicato la vita.

Devo ammettere che sono partito male, perdendo tre posizioni al via. Nella sessione di test che disputeremo prima della prossima gara credo che dovremo lavorare molto anche su questo aspetto, altrimenti ogni volta si vanifica una bella qualifica. Seat e Honda avevano un passo inarrivabile per tutti gli altri e il miglior risultato possibile, così come in gara 1, sarebbe stato il terzo posto. Ho subito recuperato la posizione persa in partenza sull’Audi di Reicher effettuando un sorpasso all’esterno che penso sia stato spettacolare anche da vedere! Poi si è formato un gruppetto in lotta per il terzo posto fino al momento del tamponamento che mi ha costretto al ritiro a un giro dalla fine.

Ci puoi raccontare quel momento?

Mancavano circa due giri al traguardo e si era formato un gruppetto in lotta per la terza posizione composto da Gagliano (Golf), Kralev, io e Reicher (tutti e tre su Audi). Alla Lesmo 2 Kralev per chiudere la porta alla Golf ha una esitazione ed esce molto lento, io invece avevo preparato al meglio l’uscita perché uscendo forte dalla curva in piena accelerazione contavo di potere prendere la scia dello stesso Kralev e superarlo. Il tamponamento è stato inevitabile perché eravamo molto vicini l’uno all’altro ed io in piena accelerazione ho trovato l’avversario che procedeva molto più lentamente in traiettoria e non ho avuto neanche il tempo di frenare! Kralev ha proseguito la corsa, io invece mi sono dovuto ritirare a causa del rottura del radiatore.

Dopo sei gare dall’inizio del campionato, sei riuscito a migliorare il feeling con la vettura?

Gara dopo gara, chilometro dopo chilometro mi sto adattando alla guida con una trazione anteriore. La macchina mi piace e credo abbia potenziale, ma se devo essere sincero me la aspettavo più competitiva. Questa non è una critica al team Pit Lane Competizioni, che anzi sta facendo un ottimo lavoro e di cui sono soddisfatto. Credo che la macchina sia stata appesantita troppo nel Balance of Performance di inizio stagione (ad ogni gara ho circa 67 kg di zavorra che mi accompagna lato passeggero!) e spero che dal Mugello vengano presi provvedimenti in merito. Qui a Monza per esempio questi, chiamiamoli così, chili di troppo si sono fatti sentire nelle due curve di Lesmo dove ho patito un evidente sottosterzo. La velocità di punta c’è, ma faccio fatica a fare girare la macchina, a tenere la corda, e con il pieno di benzina la vettura peggiora! Inoltre questo peso mette in crisi anche i freni che a mio parere non sono adeguati a tutto questo peso. A confermare la mia opinione basta pensare che nello stesso weekend si è svolta la gara all’Hungaroring nel TCR Internazionale, dove le due Audi erano disperse verso la parte finale del gruppo (oltre il 15esimo posto) e Seat e Honda hanno fatto da padrone.

Cosa ti aspetti per la prossima gara che si disputerà sul circuito di casa del Mugello?

A Monza, prima della gara, avevo detto che potevamo puntare alla vittoria e non ho mantenuto fede alla promessa, anche per questo non mi voglio sbilanciare. Per fortuna saremo proprio al Mugello per una intera giornata di test il 4 luglio. Sarà un test importantissimo in vista della gara di casa: spero di potere sfruttare ogni minuto di questo test e riuscire insieme al team a preparare la vettura nel miglior modo possibile. Dobbiamo capire come sfruttare le sue qualità.

Intervista a Max Mugelli. Il weekend prima di Monza Prima della gara di Monza Max Mugelli ci era parso decisamente ottimista, tanto da dichiarare apertamente di puntare al podio come risultato minimo e di avere la vittoria come obiettivo.