Fernando Alonso has said Monza is no longer the Temple of Speed after dramatically lower top speeds at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.
The 53-lap race on Sunday was an exhilarating affair, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli snatching the win from his teammate George Russell in the dying embers.
But for drivers like Alonso, it was a less-than-exciting return to the iconic Monza circuit.
The 2026 engine regulations have caught a lot of criticism from the fans and drivers alike. The 50-50 split between the ICE and the battery this season has meant the cars max out in terms of top speed quite quickly.
Given the inherent layout of the circuit with its long straights and a dearth of heavy braking zones to recharge the battery, top speeds were as much as 10+ km/h in deficit to the erstwhile ground-effect and turbo-hybrid cars.
Aston Martin itself could only manage 319 km/h as its highest recorded top speed. This prompted Alonso to essentially strip Monza of its ‘Temple of Speed’ moniker.
“It was different from what we’ve experienced so far at Monza,” he said.
“We arrive here and it says we’re entering the ‘Temple of Speed’. But it’s no longer the ‘Temple of Speed’.
“In Barcelona, I think we reached 350km/h or 360km/h, and in Budapest, 355km/h. And in Monza, we were around 312km/h. So, it’s no longer the ‘Temple of Speed’.”
The Italian GP was a “difficult weekend” of short-lived “fun” for Fernando Alonso
Alonso retired from the Italian GP on Lap 23, from what he believes was suspension damage picked up by riding a kerb too aggressively coming out of the second Lesmo.
It capped off what the two-time F1 World Champion called a “difficult weekend”. Despite the chassis upgrades on the AMR26 bringing in points at Zandvoort, last time out, Alonso was wary of the struggles the team could face at a power-sensitive circuit like Monza.
That said, Alonso did point out how battling with the Cadillacs was a “fun” albeit short-lived adventure.
“Yeah, I think I got damage on the car,” Alonso had told F1TV.
“I went over the kerb at Turn 7, and something felt strange – suspension or something. It was difficult, same as the whole weekend.
“We were with the Cadillacs, so at least we had a little bit of fun in the race. But, yeah, a difficult weekend.”
Up next is the Spaniard’s second home race of 2026 at the brand-new Madring circuit in the Country’s capital of Madrid.
READ MORE – The Aston Martin Monza Nightmare: Alonso’s Pit-Lane Start, Stroll’s 100th Q1 Exit
Discussion about this post