Why Monza is unique
Monza is a circuit where you spend most of the lap at full throttle and the rest braking from very high speed. The lap rewards two things: chicane discipline and the courage to carry speed through the Lesmos and Parabolica.
Corner-by-corner essentials
- Variante del Rettifilo (T1-T2). Heavy braking from top speed. The big mistake is locking up trying to be late: be smooth, use both kerbs, prioritise exit.
- Curva Grande. Flat in a GT3 with a normal aero setup.
- Variante della Roggia. One of the most rewarding corners on the calendar. Massive kerb on the inside; trust it.
- Lesmo 1 & 2. Don’t take them as separate corners — they’re a complex. The exit of Lesmo 2 sets up the back straight.
- Variante Ascari. Three apex corner. Be progressive on the throttle: the exit speed defines half of your lap time.
- Parabolica. Late apex. The exit feeds the longest straight: every km/h here is multiplied.
Common mistakes
- Overshooting Variante del Rettifilo trying to brake “as late as a top split”.
- Using too much kerb at Roggia, unsettling the car for the next compression.
- Coming off the throttle too early through Ascari trying to “stabilise” the car.
- Cutting the apex too aggressively at Parabolica and losing exit traction.
How to practice
Use Monza for stint discipline. Five-lap runs where you don’t lock up at any chicane will teach you more than chasing a one-lap hot lap with three lock-ups.
