In this period, numerous substantial changes were made to the facilities and track safety installations, required by demands for better operating conditions and comfort insistently made by entrants in the Grand Prix races and to adapt safety conditions to the growing dangerousness of Formula 1 cars. As we know, the search for the so-called "ground effect" pursued by means of the special form and sealing with side skirts of the lower part of these cars, as well as weight reduction using sometimes contrivances, and the nearly complete elimination of suspension systems, not only further increased cornering speeds but also considerably reduced the drivers control of the car.

In fact, the driver proved to be practically "driven by the car proportionately to the virtual adherence given it by these devices and was seldom able to correct cbanges in motion resulting from his own errors or from external causes. Hence the need to further increase track safety measures.

As regards facilites, the changes affected in the first place the pit area. Complying with the request of FOCA (Formula One Constructors' Association), the number of pits was increased from thirty to fortysix. A paddock and a scrutineering enclosure of over 9,000 square metres where competitors could move about and work with ease were created behind the pits, by restructuring the entire adjacent area. The front pit corridor was broadened from 9 to 12 metres and divided in three lanes. In the meantime, the press room was made larger, doubling the number of workplaces for journalists and creating a press office for the organiser and, later, a terrace with a bar.

As regards safety measures, to a number of works completed in 1979 to enlarge the external verges of the "Grande", the Lesmo and the Vialone curves and installing special tyre barriers at the terminal section of the two latter curves, was added a further enlargement of the external verge in the approximately 300-metre section from the "Grande" curve to the Roggia curve, consequently shifting the existing Dunlop bridge (then Campari), and along the last 300 metres of the Parabolic curve, here again installing sand beds and tyre barriers. In addition, the kerbs on the inside of all the variants were replaced by new lower ones with a less sharp profile.

This change was made in particular to meet the requirements of motorcycle races, and the safety conditions during the 1981 Grand Prix of Nations proved to be quite satisfactory, but the problem remained unsolved.for cars without skirts for which these kerbs were not sufficiently deterrent. Works to improve protective installations in the second Lesmo curve area on the right-hand side of the track were carried out by shifting the guardrail and creating a service roadfor emergency vehicles reaching the Serraglio curve. The work to improve the safety of the track required the felling of about 400 trees, which have been replaced by 1, 200 specimens of select species planted in other areas.

The renovation of the structures continued in the following years. Between 1982 and 1988 the following works were carried out: construction of a new podium (1982); enlarging of the paddock area by 350 m (1983); replacement of all the stands overlooking the central straight on both sides of the central grandstand with new, covered structures capable of accommodating 8.943 people (1983-85); reinforcement of the crowd control system along the entire length of the circuit (erection of insurmountable barriers aimed at preventing the crowd from invading the track before the end of the race) (1985); widening of the run-off areas at the entrance and exit of the junior track link; construction of a new campsite building to be used as reception centre, offices and shop; repaving of 20.000 sqm of paddock area, 3.500 sqm of which with ecological paving bricks (1986); rebuilding of the Lesmo stand roof, which had collapsed under the weight of an exceptional snowfall (1987); replacement of the stands overlooking the south curve with a new covered stand able to accommodate 2.500 people (1988); replacement of the catch fences with tyre barriers and trebling of about 3.000 m of guardrail to improve track protection (1988-1989). The Italian Grand Prix was the greatest attraction for the public during this period, a race run on the road track of 5.800 Km, unchanged since 1976.

In 1979, Ferrari got back to winning with Scheckter at an average speed of 212.185 Km/h. With this success, he acquired the title of world champion in the Formula 1 drivers championship. In 1980, the Grand Prix was run on the Imola circuit, and won by Piquet on Brabham. In 1981, the Grand Prix, back at Monza, was won by Prost on Renault. The fans' enthusiasm was steadily kindled by the struggle between Ferrari, Renault, Brabham, McLaren, Williams, and other famous teams, who, with their turbo charged engines, determined a notable increase in specific power output and, therefore, a considerable increase in average speeds. If, in fact, in 1982 Arnoux won the Grand Prix on Renault with an average speed of more than 219 Km/h, in 1987, after a constant increase of speeds year after year, Piquet won on his Williams with an average speed of 232 Km/h.