Italian GP Preview: Antonelli Faces Home Curse, Ferrari Debuts Upgrades, and McLaren Chases More Glory

The 13th race of the Formula One season heads to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, widely celebrated as the 'Temple of Speed'. Featuring just 11 corners, cars spend approximately 76 percent of the lap at full throttle. Lewis Hamilton noted this week, “It's always exciting in Monza. It's the fastest race we get to go to.” Last year, Max Verstappen set the fastest qualifying lap in F1 history before winning the race at a record average speed of 250.706kph.

As F1 remains committed to holding Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs in 2026, the new generation of cars is predicted to be even quicker, potentially finding up to two seconds a lap compared with 2025. Ferrari arrives with a new engine, McLaren's upgrades have reignited their championship challenge, and Mercedes hopes its young Italian driver can break a dreaded home curse. Here are the major talking points heading into the weekend.

Can Antonelli Overcome the Home-Race Curse?

Kimi Antonelli arrives at Monza as the first Italian in 73 years to lead the F1 championship. With six wins and a 59-point advantage over teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Hamilton, the 20-year-old could become Italy's first world champion since Alberto Ascari. However, that task is complicated by a penalty that will force him to start from the back of the grid after Mercedes installed an entirely new power unit due to component limits.

Mercedes calculates that Monza's long straights make overtaking manageable and least damaging for a tactical power unit change, pointing to past recovery drives by Verstappen in 2022 and Hamilton that same year. Despite this strategic choice, Antonelli must still battle the notorious home race curse. This season has already seen Oscar Piastri fail to start in Australia, Charles Leclerc retire in Monaco, Fernando Alonso suffer a DNF in Spain, and Verstappen crash out on the opening lap in Zandvoort. No Italian has won at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.

Ferrari's Latest Upgrade

For Ferrari, Monza represents the pinnacle of the season. In front of the passionate Tifosi, the team has confirmed a second upgraded power-unit specification for both drivers, alongside a low-downforce aerodynamic package tailored for the track's long straights. Hamilton, who recently introduced his mother, Carmen, to the Tifosi at Milan’s Palazzo Reale, believes the team is in a much better position than 12 months ago to fight for victories in their special SF-26 livery inspired by Michael Schumacher’s first Italian GP win 30 years ago.

McLaren Purring Again

McLaren enters Monza having won the last two races in Hungary and Zandvoort, driven by Lando Norris taking pole and victory in both. Successful mid-season upgrades, including a new floor, rear wing, and diffuser, have kept their momentum strong and prompted Norris to extend his contract through 2030. While Hungary and Zandvoort emphasized cornering, Monza will test McLaren's ability to minimize drag and maximize straight-line speed.

Red Bull Hope for More Happy Memories

Red Bull looks to regroup following Verstappen's early exit at Zandvoort. Though the RB22 lacked pace last weekend, Verstappen won the historic, record-breaking Monza race a year ago and considers the venue one of his favorites. Alongside him, Liam Lawson continues to fill in for the injured Isack Hadjar, while Yuki Tsunoda deputizes at Racing Bulls. Off the track, Red Bull announced the future arrival of long-serving Aston Martin engineer Tom McCullough as head of racing in 2027.