In this Circuits of the past video we'll
be exploring the old Monza banking
and the Pirelli Track. As we go I'll be
given some information about the things
you see along the way
and a history of the Monza circuit.
Before we begin though we've two people
to meet.
The first is Herman Liesemeijer, the
founder of the Circuits of the past
website and YouTube channel.
He lives in the Netherlands but explores
racing circuits
all across the world. The second
is Yuri Bruschi from Italy. He's a fan of
the Circuits of the past website
and knows the Monza circuit extremely
well. He showed Herman around the
heritage of the track.
Yuri also has a YouTube channel with old
Italian motorsport videos. That's well
worth a look. Me I'm just Simon Smith and
I voice the videos
all in the comfort of my own sofa.
I have a YouTube channel called Higher
Plain Games that does include some
racing games if you're interested.
Here you see Herman and Yuri exploring
the famous old
Monza banking by bicycle. What you're
seeing here is actually the second
version of the Monza banking that opened
in 1955.
The original Monza oval was demolished
in 1938.
But you'll hear more about that later.
Here the banking crosses the abandoned
Pirelli Track
which we'll talk about more later too.
True to form,
Herman has a story to tell about the
filming of the Pirelli Track
and that took place right in the tunnel
below this point.
The Monza circuit opened in 1922 as a
combination of a high-speed banked oval
and a road circuit. Both could be used
together
or separately. The length of the combined
circuit was exactly 10 kilometers,
which equates to 6.2 miles.
During a huge reconstruction of the
circuit that started in 1938
the original banking was demolished. The
idea was to make Monza a pure
road circuit. However, in the 1950s the
circuit bosses wanted to return back to
its original concept
of a combination of road circuit and
high banked oval.
In 1955 the new Monza layout opened
again with a new oval,
almost exactly on the same site as the
original.
To give the circuit also the exact
length of 10 kilometers again, they
introduced the
famous Parabolica Corner.
It's almost as if Spielberg saw it
coming.
Now we leave the Monza oval for a while
to explore the infield and famous tunne,l
where the current Formula 1 circuit
crosses the high banked oval.
And here you see the bottom of the
banking from a tunnel for pedestrians.
There is also a storage underneath the
banking.
Here you can see Herman points his
camera through a window. But
unfortunately it's too dark to see
what's inside.
My guess is that it's ferrari's h crew
for strategy calls given their luck of
late.
However, Herman now has a new camera with
night vision so next time
he'll show you exactly what scary and
creepy things are hidden in the storage
underneath the Monza banking.
I can only imagine the future adventures
of Herman trying to explain what he's
doing with one of those to the police.
Here we have a nice look at the
structure of the banking.
Now we're back on the Monza banking
where Yuri and Herman will continue
their bicycle ride around the oval.
But before they do that they first ever
try to climb it.
If I fail I will not put it on the
internet.
Oh this is also a good view.
Herman joked that he would not put this
footage on the internet if he fails to
reach the top of the banking.
However, Yuri is far more experienced in
climbing this banking so he took
Herman's GoPro camera
and shows you exactly what it looks like
from the top of the banking.
Don't try this at home.
So after the climbing of the banking our
everest conquering duo continue their
way by bicycle as they
pedal away. I'll sit here comfy in my
chair and I'll tell you a little bit
more about the 1955 banking.
The combination of the road circuit and
the oval was only used three times for
Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.
They were in 1956, 1960
and 1961. The Monza banking became most
famous
afterwards when it was used for the 1966
Formula 1 movie
Grand Prix. After Formula 1
abandoned the Monza banking it was also
declared too dangerous for other racing
series too.
The last time the full circuit was used
was in the 1969 edition of the thousand
kilometers of Monza.
Since then the old high banked oval has
been left abandoned.
When the Monza circuit needed to improve
its safety in the 1990s
they had to fail trees to create bigger
runoff areas.
So they came up with a plan to demolish
the disused banking and use the space to
replant trees.
Just like they would do of a certain old
Hockenheim in 2002.
But after a massive protest, including
many Formula 1 drivers,
they cancelled their plans. Since 1978
the old Monza oval has been used once a
year for the Monza rally.
But it only uses the lowest part of the
banking.
The rest of the year it's just a memory
from the past which can be explored
legally, just like Herman and Yuri did
here.
At the end of the back straight, Yuri and
Herman made a stop at the chicane which
was built there in 1965.
So, let's see how long we can stay on top
of the banking.
When they continued their way into the
southern banking Herman joked
let's see how long we can stay at the
top of the banking.
However, Herman discovered that it was
not that easy to stay on top for a very
long time.
Yuri did a serious attempt to keep his
bicycle at the top.
But then this happened...
Stacking it down the bank in there was
Yuri basically creating a moon for 2020
as a year flattened that curve.
After Yuri licked his wounds they
continued their journey on the southern
banking.
On the website
www.circuitsofthepast.com you can read
the full story about the Monza oval.
We've arrived at the end of the public
part of the banking.
Here the entrance has been blocked by a
fence. If this fence wasn't here
you could actually enter the current
race track.
I would have loved to have seen a two
bike race between Herman and Yuri in
the current circuit.
But as they can only cause trouble if
it was a track day.
Besides, driving on the abandoned banking
by bicycle was certainly
already dangerous enough.
After the ride on the oval, Herman and
Yuri drove to the current circuit.
At that moment they didn't realize that
they used the legendary
Florio connection from the 1930s.
Later Yuri went back to the Monza
circuit to film the old Florio circuit.
Here's a link to that video.
Now you see Herman and Yuri underway off
to the famous Parabolica Corner.
As you can see to get round Parabolica
on bike requires some Tony Hawk or Dave
Mirror skills.
All that's missing is a half pipe.
The Parabolica Corner was introduced in
1955 when the new Monza banking
also opened. Just like the original 1922
track
they wanted the length to be a combined
road circuit and oval of
exactly 10 kilometers.
By the way, parabolica is Italian for
parabolic.
But some lazy reporters will tell the
audience that the southern banking is
also the old Parabolica Corner, probably
not aware of the meaning of the name
Parabolica.
I used to think that it was called
Parabolica because you needed a huge
pair of bullocks to drive through it.
Actually, there's no old Parabolica
Corner. The current Parabolica
is the same as in 1955 and it's still on
exactly the same spot.
Only the runoff has changed slightly
over the years.
Moving from sand trap to concrete or if
your name's Alex Peroni,
sausage curb. After the Parabolica they
went onto the Ascari Chicane...
Porta del Serraglio...
The Lesmo Corners and the Roggia Chicane.
Then it was time to explore the
abandoned section of the Pirelli Track.
The Pirelli Track was built during the
1938 reconstruction of the Monza circuit.
It was built to be a test track for the
Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli.
The layout made use of part of the road
circuit
and a new loop on the infield.
However, because of the outbreak of World
War II the Pirelli Track was never
actually used for its original purpose.
Today the infield section is left
entirely abandoned but can still be
explored by nostalgic fans
just like us. In 2016 the abandoned
Pirelli Track was back in the spotlight
when they came up with an alternative
layout for the World Superbike race.
The new section would cut off the Curva
Grande and make use of part of the old
Pirelli Track.
A new chicane would then bring it back
on to the current track.
Rumors circulated on the internet the
old F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was also
interested in using this layout
but for Formula 1. A massive
protest under the slogan "Save Curva
Grande" broke out.
But the idea disappeared just as quickly
as it came.
Here you see Yuri and Herman follow the
old Pirelli Track by bicycle.
This newer asphalt road underneath the
banking follows the old Pirelli layout.
Driving downhill the speed increases
considerably.
But what Herman didn't know was that in
the tunnel underneath the banking
has cobblestones. Just like the original
surface of the Pirelli Track.
He was surprised when he saw them and I
have just one word to say...
ouch!
Yuri knew about the cobblestones and
braked earlier so that he could build up
his speed for the slope upwards
afterwards and catch Herman back up
again.
At least the Pirelli Track was finally
getting some racing at long last.
The tour around the Pirelli Track
ends up at the current Ascari Chicane.
For more details about the Pirelli Track
you can read the Monza article over on
the website
circuitofthepast.com
After the exploration of the old Monza
layouts Herman got a guided tour
through the pit building of the current
Monza circuit.
The stone grandstand that you see here
was built in 1940
as part of a great pre-war renovation.
However, after the war it needed a huge
overhaul again before it could be
finally used for its purpose.
The building today is not only just a
grand stand but it houses a restaurant
inside too.
Inside the pit building Herman visited
the press room
and the control room too.
They also let him make a walk of fame
through to the podium.
So that's the compilation of Herman and
Yuri's exploration of the Monza Circuit.
for more information about Monza, visit
the website www.circuitsofthepast.com
There you can also download a free ebook
about seven abandoned racetracks that
you can visit legally.
For now though, thank you very much for
watching and don't forget to subscribe
and click the notification bell so that
you don't miss out on the next video
from another iconic
circuit from the past.
