MONZA / MILAN – ABC MUNDIAL. Lombardy can already hear the roar of the engines. From September 4 to 6, the legendary Autodromo Nazionale Monza once again hosts the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, with the 2026 edition set to become one of the most highly attended and economically significant in its history.

But Monza is about much more than a race.

During Grand Prix week, Formula 1 transforms a large part of Lombardy into an international stage where sport, tourism, music, food, business and entertainment come together. Monza remains the epicentre, but Milan and other destinations across the region are increasingly part of a phenomenon attracting fans from around the world.

A Grand Prix worth nearly €208 million

The economic figures illustrate the scale of the event.

According to estimates by the Research Centre of Confcommercio Milano Lodi Monza Brianza, the 97th Italian Grand Prix is expected to generate an economic impact of approximately €207.8 million, an increase of 7.9% compared with 2025.

More than 365,000 visitors are expected during the days surrounding the Grand Prix.

The province of Monza and Brianza will be the main beneficiary, with an estimated €106.4 million, while Milan and its metropolitan area are expected to receive approximately €63.2 million, confirming that Formula 1’s economic impact now extends far beyond Monza itself.

Other parts of Lombardy will also benefit, with around €22.5 million expected for the province of Como, €6.7 million for Lecco and approximately €9 million for the region’s other provinces.

Hotels and accommodation account for the largest share, at approximately €68.6 million, or 33% of the estimated total expenditure. Shopping follows at €62.2 million, restaurants at €33.2 million, tickets at €31.2 million, and transport and parking at approximately €12.5 million.

The figures show how a single racing weekend can become a powerful tourism and economic platform for an entire region.

The Grand Prix therefore connects two complementary identities: Monza, a historic symbol of speed, and Milan, an international capital of fashion, design, business and tourism.

Milan embraces Formula 1: Ferrari, Barilla and thousands of fans

The Italian Grand Prix has also brought the Formula 1 spectacle into the very heart of Milan.

One of the biggest events of the week took place on September 2 near Milan’s Duomo, where Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were welcomed by a spectacular sea of Ferrari red during the Drive to Monza event.

Around 26,000 fans gathered in Piazzetta Reale to see the two Ferrari drivers. Leclerc and Hamilton greeted the crowd, signed autographs and took selfies with the tifosi, temporarily turning Milan’s historic centre into a huge open-air Ferrari grandstand.

International DJ Peggy Gou also took part in the celebrations, while Palazzo Reale hosted pieces of Ferrari history, including the F1-2000 driven by Michael Schumacher, one of the most iconic cars in the Scuderia’s modern history.

Italian food culture has also joined the Formula 1 celebrations. Barilla, the Official Pasta Partner of Formula 1, brought a special public experience to Piazza San Babila from September 3 to 6, connecting two symbols of Made in Italy: pasta and motorsport.

The initiative features tastings, live cooking and interactive activities around a table inspired by the shape of the Monza circuit. Visitors can also taste the Gran Ruote Barilla Racing Edition, created as part of the Formula 1 partnership, while following the qualifying sessions and the race.

Milan has therefore become an integral part of the Grand Prix experience. Formula 1 has moved beyond the boundaries of the racetrack and into some of the city’s most famous squares and landmarks.

Monza becomes a city-wide celebration

From September 3 to 6, Monza FuoriGP also returns, bringing the Grand Prix atmosphere into the city centre.

Music, culture, entertainment and motorsport-related activities accompany the race weekend, involving residents, families, tourists, fans and local businesses.

It is precisely this urban dimension that has allowed the Grand Prix to evolve from a major sporting competition into a major event for the entire region.

Formula 1 is experienced inside the circuit, but also in the streets, squares, restaurants and venues surrounding it.

The “Temple of Speed” takes centre stage

Everything, of course, ultimately leads back to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

Opened in 1922, the circuit is one of the great monuments of motorsport history and has maintained an almost inseparable relationship with the Italian Grand Prix.

Expectations for the 2026 edition are enormous. Tickets for Sunday’s race sold out well in advance, while Friday and Saturday have also moved close to full capacity.

Monza still possesses something difficult to reproduce at any other circuit: history, speed and extraordinary popular passion.

And inevitably, one colour dominates all the others: Ferrari red.

For the tifosi, the Italian Grand Prix is never simply another race on the Formula 1 calendar. It is an emotional occasion, almost an annual pilgrimage to the place where Italian motorsport celebrates its history and continues to dream of new victories.

Much more than 53 laps

When the cars line up on the starting grid on Sunday, September 6, millions of fans will focus their attention on some of the most legendary corners in motorsport.

But the real impact of the Italian Grand Prix will have begun several days earlier.

It will be visible in packed hotels, busy restaurants and shops, crowded railway stations, the streets of Monza and a Milan filled with thousands of international visitors and Formula 1 fans.

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix once again demonstrates that modern Formula 1 is about much more than speed.

It is sport, entertainment, tourism and business. But at Monza, above all, it remains a tradition.

A tradition that, more than a century after the circuit was built, continues to make the heart of Lombardy beat to the rhythm of a Formula 1 engine.