Our visit to Monza for the last round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship gave us the chance to experience one of motorsport’s most iconic circuits for the first time. Known as the ‘Temple of Speed’, Monza certainly lives up to its reputation, with its long straights, heavy braking zones and fantastic motorsport atmosphere. It was great to finally visit, although compared to some of the other venues we’ve been to, we did feel the facilities were lacking. It’s certainly a circuit worth visiting, but the overall visitor experience could do with some improvement.
On track, it was the #38 Jota Cadillac V-Series.R that stole the show. Starting third, Jack Aitken quickly moved into the lead before handing over to Sébastien Bourdais, who managed to fend off challenges from Alpine and BMW. Earl Bamber took over for the final stint and, despite late pressure from the Alpine, held on to take victory. It was a fantastic result for the Jota Cadillac, securing their first win together in the FIA WEC and giving Bourdais a long-awaited return to the top step of the podium. Alpine finished second with the #36 A424 in its final appearance, while the #51 Ferrari completed the podium.
One of the biggest talking points for us was the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie. Having fought its way through the race to cross the finish line in third place, it looked as though Aston Martin had finally secured its first Hypercar podium. Unfortunately, a brace of post-race penalties dropped the British car outside the points, taking away what would have been a hugely significant result. It was a disappointing outcome after such a strong performance for the Heart of Racing team. Elsewhere, Toyota secured both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships, with the #8 crew of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa doing enough with a tenth-place finish to take the title.
The LMGT3 class also delivered plenty of action, with The Bend Manthey securing back-to-back victories. However, Richard Lietz in the #92 Porsche had to work for it, battling hard with Eduardo Barrichello in the Heart of Racing Aston Martin in the final laps. In his 100th FIA WEC appearance, Lietz managed to hold off the Aston Martin’s late challenge to take the chequered flag. Behind them, the #33 Corvette finished third, which was enough for TF Sport to secure the Teams’ Championship and Jonny Edgar to take the Drivers’ title.
Our first visit to Monza was certainly one to remember. The circuit’s history and atmosphere made it a fantastic place to experience endurance racing, even if the facilities weren’t quite up to the standard of some other venues we’ve visited. From Cadillac’s impressive victory to the late Porsche and Aston Martin battle in LMGT3, there was plenty to keep us entertained. However, for us, the biggest talking point remained the Aston Martin Valkyrie losing its third-place finish after the race. To cross the line in a podium position only to have it taken away afterwards summed up just how unpredictable endurance racing can be.
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Disclaimer: We are not associated with the FIA, the ACO, any teams taking part or any sponsors of the event.
