Formula One Preview: Italian Grand Prix

Monza has appeared on the F1 calendar every season except 1980 | Credit: Formula One

Formula One returned from its summer break a fortnight ago with the final Dutch Grand Prix, as Lando Norris picked up where he left off with a second consecutive victory for McLaren. 

F1 now heads to Monza, where Ferrari will look to put their intra-team squabble from Zandvoort behind them and put on a show for the Tifosi.

Circuit guide

Situated just north-east of Milan, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza has hosted more Grands Prix than any other circuit in F1, 75. 1980 is the only year in the sport’s history which did not include a trip to the venue.

Nicknamed the “Temple of Speed”, Monza is the fastest circuit on the calendar. Max Verstappen won last year’s race in just one hour, 13 minutes and 24 seconds which, at an average speed of 250.706 km/h (155.78 mph), was the fastest Grand Prix in history.

Lewis Hamilton achieved an average speed of 264.362km/h for his pole lap in 2020, making it the fastest single lap ever recorded in F1.

Lewis Hamilton drove F1’s fastest ever lap in his Mercedes W11 during Qualifying in 2020 | Credit: Formula One

Several long straights are punctuated by three chicanes, two Lesmos and the famous Parabolica, with drivers putting their foot flat to the floor for 80% of the lap.

Slightly counterintuitively, though, given the circuit’s high speeds and long straights, overtaking can be difficult, with teams tending to run a low downforce set-up to maximise top speed. This in turn reduces the slipstream effect, while tyre overheating is also a common occurrence.

There is a new factor to consider this year, too. Ever since the introduction of F1’s new battery-heavy regulations, there has been concern about how the new cars will cope around such a power-hungry circuit as Monza. It is possible that the over-dependence on rechargeable battery power may be exposed this weekend, as drivers could struggle to push the limit without being severely punished.

Changes made earlier in the season to promote battery recharge and prevent super-clipping will be tested to the maximum, and depending on the on-track product, this weekend could dictate further changes to the regulations in the future.

Weekend format

Perhaps given the difficulty of overtaking around Monza, the circuit has not been selected to host a sprint race. The weekend format therefore follows a traditional pattern.

Weather forecast

This weekend is set to be a scorcher in northern Italy, with temperatures forecast to hit 33 degrees Celsius on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

As has become the norm for the Italian Grand Prix, there is no rain on the radar. In fact, despite the occasional Saturday shower, there has not been a single rain-affected race at Monza since Sebastian Vettel’s triumph for Toro Rosso in 2008.

Major talking points

Italian allegiances split: No team has had more success at a single circuit than Ferrari at Monza, with the Scuderia taking 20 victories since the inaugural Formula One World Championship in 1950. Many in the crowd this weekend will be willing one of Leclerc or Hamilton to add a 21st.

Ferrari traditionally enjoy overwhelming support at Monza | Credit: Formula One

However, there will be an increasing number of fans daring to don a colour other than red, as Italy stands on the brink of celebrating its first world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has shattered records all season long and is looking to become the first Italian winner at Monza since 1966. 

Not since 2008 has Ferrari won either world championship, and it may be the 20-year-old at Mercedes who gives the nation something to cheer come the end of the season in the form of a driver’s title. 

With Hamilton currently 59 points in arrears, and Leclerc a further 28 points back, there remains a slim chance of silverware for Ferrari but it is the man from Bologna who holds the cards.

World champion extends contract: F1’s silly season never properly got going during the summer break, but since business resumed at Zandvoort a number of pieces have fallen into place. 

Norris won the World Championship with McLaren in 2025 | Credit: Formula One

As expected, the confirmation of Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull triggered a spate of contract announcements, with the latest coming from McLaren and Lando Norris. Last year’s championship-winning team has tied down their championship-winning driver until at least 2030, a decision Norris described as “quite easy”.

The Brit admitted there had been “some interest from elsewhere”, but with his existing deal with McLaren still having over a year left to run decided to quash any future speculation by signing on the dotted line early.

Elsewhere in the paddock, Franco Colapinto has agreed to remain with Alpine for 2027.

Mind games begin: Sticking with Norris, the world champion’s back to back victories from pole on either side of the summer break have catapulted him into outsider status for this year’s title.

The Brit is now fourth in the standings, 83 points shy of leader Kimi Antonelli. However, he played down any title talk after victory at Zandvoort by denying that McLaren have the car he needs to fight for the championship.

Antonelli continues to lead the way by 59 points ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who are both tied. Despite their dominance so far this season, the Silver Arrows’ boss Toto Wolff has said Mercedes “haven’t got the money” to upgrade their car at the same rate as their rivals.

Wolff has also suggested Ferrari may run out of money for upgrades later this year | Credit: Formula One

As the top teams try to shift pressure onto each other, there can be no doubt that it is Ferrari who will be the centre of attention this week at the team’s home race.

Scuderia squabble: One of the main talking points from the Dutch Grand Prix was the row between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari teammates were aggrieved by each other’s behaviour over the 72-lap race, finishing fourth and fifth respectively, right behind Russell’s Mercedes.

Hamilton’s displeasure was less with Leclerc himself, and rather with the Ferrari pit wall, who delayed their call to pit the Monégasque driver to the Brit’s great expense. Hamilton had closed up to the back of his teammate on far fresher tyres, but was unable to get the move done round the tight twists of Zandvoort, and lost a handful of seconds that arguably cost him a podium finish. For his part, Leclerc also ignored multiple calls from the team to let Hamilton through.

On the flip side, Leclerc was furious on the final lap, as Hamilton looked to find a way past Russell and in doing so cut aggressively across the Monégasque, who was looking to gain a position himself. Leclerc gestured angrily to the Brit as they took the chequered flag, but both appear to have moved on.

Celebration of Schumacher: Ferrari are marking a break from Zandvoort with a switch to special race suits and liveries for their home Grand Prix. The Scuderia are paying homage to the legendary Michael Schumacher, who joined the team 30 years ago. 

Ferrari are running a special livery dedicated to Michael Schumacher this weekend | Credit: Formula One

A wildly successful decade followed, as the German picked up 72 race victories (including five at Monza) and five world championships before his departure in 2006. He has not been seen in public following a skiing accident in 2013.

Past Italian Grands Prix

The Italian Grand Prix is the only event aside from the British Grand Prix to be an ever-present event on the F1 calendar. Even in 1980, when no race was held at Monza, the race found a temporary home at Imola.

Leclerc brought the house down when he won for Ferrari in 2024, his second victory at Monza following his success in 2019. Racing Bulls, also based in Italy, has also won here twice - with Vettel (as Toro Rosso) in 2008 and Gasly (as Alpha Tauri) in 2020.

Max Verstappen’s victory a year ago, with an average speed of over 250 km/h, was the fastest race in F1 history. The Dutchman broke Michael Schumacher’s record of 247.57km/h from the 2003 Italian Grand Prix, also at Monza. 

1961 World Champion Phill Hill picked up two of his three career wins at Monza (1960 and 1961), while three-time champion Sir Jackie Stewart achieved his maiden win there in 1965.

Clay Regazzoni (1970), Juan-Pablo Montoya (2001) and Vettel (2008) also collected their first victories at Monza, while Ludovico Scarfiotti (1966), Peter Gethin (1971) and Pierre Gasly (2020) claimed their only career wins at the circuit.

Gethin’s victory in 1971 saw the smallest winning margin in F1 history, when he pipped Ronnie Peterson to the flag by 0.01 seconds. Indeed, the top four were separated on the line by just 0.18 seconds.

John Surtees (1967), Jody Scheckter (1979), Heinz-Harald Frentzen (1999), Rubens Barrichello (2009) and Daniel Ricciardo (2021) all achieved their final F1 triumphs at Monza.

Teammates and title rivals Norris and Piastri were caught up in team orders controversy at Monza last year | Credit: Formula One

Aside from Verstappen’s record-breaking victory, last year’s Italian Grand Prix is best remembered for McLaren’s team orders, as the team instructed Oscar Piastri to allow Norris through after a slow pit stop for the Brit.

Drivers to watch

Lando Norris: It goes without saying that the man who has won the last two races from pole position, and who also happens to be the reigning world champion, is likely to be a contender this weekend. 

McLaren proved that the team’s pace in Budapest was no one-off with another strong showing at Zandvoort, and if the MCL40 can succeed at such a unique track as Monza, it begs the question as to whether they are the team to beat for the rest of the season. 

With Mercedes, Ferrari and Verstappen’s Red Bull all on a relatively even keel, any further victories for Norris could see his points deficit to Antonelli come tumbling down.

Charles Leclerc: Ferrari’s golden boy is under threat of being beaten by a teammate across a season for the first time in his F1 career, currently 28 points behind Lewis Hamilton. No driver is bigger than Ferrari, and if the Monégasque fails to make inroads, he may find himself having to support a possible Hamilton title effort towards the end of the season.

Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari for a second time in 2024 | Credit: Formula One

However, Leclerc has tasted victory twice in front of the Tifosi, in 2019 and 2024, with a second place in 2022 and three fourth-place finishes. Especially given the inter-team drama at Zandvoort a fortnight ago, the fight for supremacy within Ferrari is at an all-time high and he could make a huge statement with victory this weekend.

Kimi Antonelli: Not since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966 has an Italian tasted victory on home soil, but with six wins to his name already in 2026 and a healthy championship lead, Kimi Antonelli is well-placed to right that wrong.

Antonelli crashed during FP1 on his F1 debut at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix | Credit: Formula One

Monza has not historically been kind to the 20-year-old, though, as he crashed on his second lap at his FP1 outing for Mercedes in 2024 and finished ninth in last year’s race.

Session times

Practice 1: Friday 12:30 - 13:30 CEST (11:30 - 12:30 BST)

Practice 2: Friday 16:00 - 17:00 CEST (15:00 - 16:00 BST)

Practice 3: Saturday 12:30 - 13:30 CEST (11:30 - 12:30 BST)

Qualifying: Saturday 16:00 - 17:00 CEST (15:00 - 16:00 BST)

Race: Sunday 15:00 CEST (14:00 BST)

Edited by Marit Everett