Kimi Antonelli, the current Formula 1 championship leader, will start the Italian Grand Prix from the rear of the grid due to an engine change. Mercedes opted to replace a power unit component beyond the permitted allocation for the 20-year-old Italian driver, triggering a penalty at Monza.
Antonelli, who leads the drivers’ standings with 242 points, holds a 59-point advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, both on 183 points. The decision to take the penalty at Monza was strategic, as the circuit is known for offering more overtaking opportunities.
The Italian Grand Prix weekend at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is underway, with qualifying scheduled for later today, Saturday, September 5th, at 15:00 BST. Free Practice 1 and 2 took place on Friday, September 4th.
During Friday’s practice sessions, Antonelli finished fifth in FP1 and improved to third in FP2, demonstrating competitive pace despite the impending penalty. He expressed confidence in Monza’s characteristics, stating, ‘It’s a track where you can really do so many different things.’
Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are competing at their home race with updated power units. Ferrari introduced a second ADUO engine revision, alongside specific floor and rear wing tweaks, aimed at boosting straight-line speed at the high-speed Monza circuit.
Hamilton, who arrived at Monza in his recently acquired Ferrari F40, has secured five Monza victories in his career. He aims to surpass Michael Schumacher’s record of five wins at the circuit. Ferrari is also running a special Michael Schumacher tribute livery this weekend.
The seven-time world champion acknowledged Mercedes’ straight-line speed advantage throughout the season, noting a deficit of ‘four tenths a lap’ at the previous race. However, he expressed optimism about Ferrari’s upgrades, stating, ‘This is a step forward. It’s not the whole gap that we need, but we knew that would be the case.’
Leclerc, a two-time winner at Monza in 2019 and 2024, tempered expectations for Ferrari’s home event. He indicated that Monza ‘doesn’t look like our best track’ on paper, as the SF-26’s strengths in corners may be less advantageous on the predominantly high-speed layout.
Despite his cautious outlook, Leclerc was fastest in FP1 and second in FP2. He confirmed that Hamilton would have priority in choosing qualifying release timing, a strategy to exploit slipstream opportunities.
Monza, known as ‘The Temple of Speed,’ is a 5.793-kilometre circuit featuring long straights and high-speed corners, requiring low-drag car setups. The circuit has 11 corners, one of the fewest on the F1 calendar. New for 2026 are ‘Straight Mode’ zones and an ‘Overtake Mode’ that replaces DRS.
Antonelli is the first Italian to lead the championship standings heading into his home race since Alberto Ascari in 1953. He secured his maiden F1 victory earlier this season at the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming the 16th Italian driver to win a Formula 1 race.
Ferrari currently holds second place in the Constructors’ Championship, trailing Mercedes by 87 points. The tifosi at Monza show divided loyalties, supporting both Ferrari and their Italian championship leader in a Mercedes.
