Since 1991, only twice has the eventual World Drivers' Championship winner won the Italian Grand Prix.
It is weird that only Michael Schumacher in two of his less dominant years has broken this curse.
There are a few cases where the eventual WDC should have won at Monza - Mika Hakkinen's self-induced retirement from the lead in 1999 being an excellent example of this, as well as Michael Schumacher's near-lead collision with Damon Hill in 1995.
I think Monza produces few World Champions in the modern era because it demands a skill set from driver and car that is rarely seen across the other races of the calendar. Even the other supposedly unique challenge of Monaco does not produce this pattern:
So the question is, is this a freak set of results, or is it Monza itself that is the freak?
It is weird that only Michael Schumacher in two of his less dominant years has broken this curse.
There are a few cases where the eventual WDC should have won at Monza - Mika Hakkinen's self-induced retirement from the lead in 1999 being an excellent example of this, as well as Michael Schumacher's near-lead collision with Damon Hill in 1995.
I think Monza produces few World Champions in the modern era because it demands a skill set from driver and car that is rarely seen across the other races of the calendar. Even the other supposedly unique challenge of Monaco does not produce this pattern:
So the question is, is this a freak set of results, or is it Monza itself that is the freak?