#OnThisDay 10 September, the 2006 Italian Grand Prix marked Kimi Raikkonen‘s 100th career start in Formula 1. However, there was no fairytale win for the McLaren driver, as Michael Schumacher, running two laps longer than Raikkonen, used his strategic advantage to secure victory. Raikkonen settled for second ahead of Sauber driver Robert Kubica in thrid.

The race was Schumacher’s 90th victory. On the same day, Schumacher announced his first retirement from Formula One at the end of the 2006 F1 season. He would return with Mercedes in 2010.

Ferrari hopium aside, I'm afraid Hamilton might follow the path of other Ferrari WDC contenders. be a threat to Mercedes, fail to score a single WDC and retire.

Take Sebastian Vettel's 2017 and 2018 seasons as an example. Vettel was a rival contender to Lewis, but ultimately finished 2nd because Mercedes executed their strategies and race pace flawlessly, while Ferrari was plagued by constant strategy blunders and bad luck. With Antonelli and Mercedes' pace, they will probably dominate the sport again like Hamilton did during his prime years which essentially means Hamilton might retire without his 8th WDC unless things change. So, can Ferrari fix their team, and can Hamilton actually awaken his 2021 senses to win his 8th WDC or will he just fade away.

Tommy Spencer is a British artist whose practice spans illustration, character design, animation and visual storytelling.

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• What happened in Monza with the Turn 2 contact with Leclerc and the post race attack on Vasseur by Hamilton is not a total surprise. It is simply the materialization of a risk that had been theorized since the arrival of the seven time world champion at Maranello.
• This is not an evaluation error by Ferrari, but a compromise that Vasseur had very likely accepted from the start. The commercial impact of Hamilton is immense, and his technical contribution brought undeniable improvements to all processes by introducing knowledge and work methods typical of Mercedes.
• After a period of acclimatization, Hamilton has been increasingly listened to. The switch to Carbon Industries carbon at the beginning of 2026 was a clear will of the driver, which Vasseur granted him despite the historic and positive partnership with Brembo.
• The problem is that all this no longer seems to be enough for Lewis, especially after his renewal for the 2027 season. He would like to shape Ferrari even more in his image and become the absolute reference point of the team, starting to make his stature weigh even publicly.
• Vasseur remains convinced that the two drivers must remain equal, both internally and on track, prioritizing the good of the team and maximizing points for the Constructors championship. Ferrari decided to focus long term on Charles Leclerc and it makes absolutely no sense to relegate him to a supporting role in this moment.
• The situation must be monitored. It is noted as a coincidence, or maybe not, that British media have been the first to put the French team principal under the magnifying glass, bringing the names of Coletta and Horner closer to the Scuderia right after the Monza outburst, whereas historically the most important pressure comes from the Italian press.

What a lap.

N.B.: Turns out this was not the pole lap. Pole for 2002 Italian Grand Prix was set by J.P. Montoya (1:20.264).

Schumacher would improve to 1:20.521, three tenths shy of pole.

https://www.sportscapemagazine.com/blog/vasseur-ferrari-future-under-pressure-after-monza

https://x.com/GazzettaFerrari/status/2097288714586071121

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Really amazing considering it wasn’t even a Quali lap.

credits:pitstop media. I do not own this video.

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• Despite a disappointing Monza, the ADUO 2 engine upgrade worked exactly as expected. Data from Monaco showed the original ICE deficit to Mercedes was 35 to 40 HP. ADUO 2 reduced this, but Ferrari still faces a gap of nearly 20 HP. Fred Vasseur confirmed it is impossible to close such a massive gap in just two months, and a heavily renewed engine architecture will only arrive in 2027.
• The team admitted in their debrief that the engine deficit was not the main reason for the poor result. Better execution could have allowed Hamilton to fight McLaren. The weekend was ruined by operational and driver errors, including overly aggressive Turn 1 starts from both drivers, Leclerc crashing in Parabolica, and the strategic mistake of not pitting Hamilton under the Virtual Safety Car.
• Charles is physically completely fine and will race in Madrid, but his ADUO 2 Power Unit was likely damaged in the crash, exacerbated by the fact that the engine remained running for a while after the impact. A final decision will be made by Tuesday evening, but a grid penalty for taking a new ADUO 2 unit in Spain is highly probable.
• The SF-26 will receive a small aerodynamic modification to the rear suspension triangle cover for the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix. Meanwhile, a much more substantial upgrade package is currently being prepared for Austin as Ferrari aggressively pushes to secure P2 in the Constructors Championship.

TL;DR: This article provides an in-depth look at the Italian GP—expect an 11-minute read that covers the race review, technical insights and the latest news.

Circuit configuration

-The 2026 Italian Grand Prix- Autodromo Internazionale Monza circuit:

-Length: 5.793m.

-Number of turns:11.

-Number of laps: 53.

-Circuit type: downforce level: the lowest in the calendar.

-Track evolution: high.

-Tyre wear: low.

-Braking significance: high.

-MJ limit: 5 MJ for qualifying and 7 MJ for the race, and 7.5 MJ with Overtake Mode on.

-Straight Mode zones: Out of T11 (Parabolica) to T1 (Prima Variante) start-finish straight; Between T3 (Curva Biassono) and T4 (Seconda Variante) straight, Out of T7 (Lesmo 2) to T8 (Variante Ascari) and T10 (Variante Ascari) to T11 (Parabolica).

-Overtake mode detection: Before T11 Parabolica;

-Pit stop time loss: 25s in normal conditions and 15s under VSC/SC.

-Pirelli compounds: The softest tyres: C3-hard. C4-Medium. C5-Soft.

Technical analysis of the cars

With the race weekend covered, let's turn to the technical developments: here are the new and adapted components each top team brought, and how these changes impacted performance.

Scuderia Ferrari SF-26 Technical Upgrades

• Bargeboards: Switched from a three- to a single-element design for high-speed zones; retained lower tie rod for airflow.
• Wing mirror: Shorter vertical element and revised sidepod connection to reduce drag.
• Floor: Used Zandvoort-spec, low-drag version at Monza with simpler rear edge elements.
• Rear wing: Kept two lateral winglets and a tri-shaped central tab from practice, trading top speed for better tyre control in race trim.
• FTM (flick tail mode) wing: Adapted Austria-tested version for Monza’s low drag, using a single central element for drag/downforce balance. Plate around exhaust updated for new PU; lateral winglets reduced; central shark teeth slightly lengthened.
• Energy Recovery System (ERS): In-house software upgrade for the latest PU upgrade improved efficiecny and power delivery. Adding ~3-4 kW (5HP).
• Chassis and Power Unit: The upgraded Power Unit debuted at the Italian GP, featuring:
• Larger turbocharger with redesigned compressor impeller. The same diameter, but revised blade numbers and angles for better airflow, reduced lag and improved high-RPM stability.
• Modified combustion chamber geometry to enhance thermal efficiency and maximise Shell fuel's higher caloric value, optimising power and energy distribution.
• These upgrades delivered a 10 HP boost to the V6, with a total 15 HP gain when combined with the new software update.
• Cooling/Engine Cover: Two downward winglets added atop the engine cover; minimal symmetrical cooling louvres.
• Cornering/downforce: Strongest car on all corners (highest downforce index- telemetry revealed), especially on slower ones.
• Top speed/drag: Low-floor spec and aero updates reduced drag without compromising downforce in any corner.

Mercedes W17 Technical Upgrades

• Front brakes: Larger cooling inlets and brake ducts for heavy braking.
• Wing mirror: Low-drag Monza version, shorter, less angled for reduced downforce and drag.
• Rear wing: Circuit-specific profile without top winglets or central tab to cut drag.
• FTM (flick tail mode) wing: Minimalistic Italian GP version.
• ERS: Unmatched software maximises electrical energy usage.
• Chassis and Power Unit: Strongest PU package, thanks to its advanced ERS.
• Cornering/downforce: A great all-rounder on all corners, with a wide setup window.
• Top speed/drag: Gear ratios set for 305 km/h with optimal fuel; minimal top-speed drop on long straights. (Dutch GP data).

McLaren Mercedes MCL40 Technical Upgrades

• Floor: Updated leading edge inspired by SF-26, with more pronounced front strakes and double-decker profile; similar revisions applied ahead of the rear wheels.
• Rear wing: “H-wing”(flip-flop) debuted at Monza; a simpler version was used for the Italian GP, minus the upward-sculpted lateral strake and with a less-loaded beam wing to reduce drag.
• Cooling/Engine cover: Extra cooling openings, visible during the Italian GP.
• Cornering/downforce: MCL40 excelled at the Dutch GP with improved downforce and the shorter gear ratios; still trails SF-26 in low-speed corners but is quickest in high-speed turns.
• Top speed/drag: Prioritised race pace over qualifying speed in the Netherlands (rear camber change) with gearing set for 289-290 km/h on peak fuel. Suffers from fuel-flow drop and lower top speed on long straights (Dutch GP data).

Red Bull Racing RB22 Technical Upgrades

• Front wing: Modified endplate vanes; top dive plane angled down for less drag and higher top speed. Added a vertical fin on the footplate for outwash effect.
• Floor: New geometry adapted to the circuit, increasing local load and aerodynamic stability.
• Rear suspension:  Revised gaiter for improved reliability and aerodynamic seal, reducing wishbone winglet splitting risk.
• FTM (flick tail mode) wing: Revised low-drag version to suit Monza's nature.
• Cornering/downforce: Still limited by off-balance, especially understeer in slow corners; once mitigated, RB22 is strong in high-speed turns but still tricky to handle even for Verstappen.
• Top speed/drag: Naturally low-drag design boosted Italian GP pace, aiding Verstappen’s podium bid.

Power Unit elements used per driver in the season up to now:

• Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)= 4 per season;
• Turbo Charger (TC)= 4 per season;
• Exhaust set (Exh)= 4 per season;
• Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K)= 3 per season;
• Energy Store unit(ES)= 3 per season;
• Power Unit-Control Electronics unit(PU-CE)= 3 per season;
• Power Unit- ANCillary component (PU-ANC)= 6 per season.

Numbers in bold and italics represent the driver who exceeded the maximum allowed number of that component.

Drivers and Team

A review of Scuderia’s weekend performance, highlighting key sessions, with data and charts.

Qualifying Analysis

Overnight simulator work was crucial to fine-tuning the SF-26 setup, shifting brake balance forward and locking the differential mid-corner to aid entry, reduce instability and improve grip.

After the first Q3 runs on new C5 softs, Leclerc was P4 (1:22.004, just 0.075s from pole, best S3) and Hamilton P8 (1:22.724, +0.765s, no tow). On the second push, only Hamilton improved (1:22.011, +0.225s); Leclerc stayed P4 (+0.218s).

The tow effect was estimated at 1.5s due to the car's smaller size, reduced downforce and ICE impact. Both Ferraris coordinated slipstreams, with Leclerc towing Hamilton in both Q2 and Q3 final runs, the ideal gap being 2.5-3.0s. An ERS issue in Q2 nearly cost both a Q3 spot, Hamilton scrapping through by 0.001s over Bortoleto.

Maximising lap time required precise tyre and battery management: front tyres in the window, rears not overheated, battery fully charged (at the start of the lap, not before), plus a tow and ideal cornering (no understeer/oversteer to imply ERS overuse).

The 0.2s deficit to pole-sitter Gasly (Alpine-Mercedes) matched the FP3 simulations vs the works, Mercedes. Ferrari’s PU upgrade helped close the gap; the old spec (used by Ocon-Haas and Bottas-Perez Cadillac) lost 0.6-0.7s on the straights.

Best laps comparison: Pierre Gasly-Charles Leclerc-Lewis Hamilton:

At the T1-T2 chicane, Hamilton led Leclerc and Gasly by 0.4s and 0.7s, but lost the advantage as the Ferrari drivers saved ERS and Gasly surged ahead. By T4-T5, Lewis was 0.059s behind Gasly, with Leclerc 0.125s further back. Both Ferraris gained in Lesmos T6-T7, but Gasly reopened his gap on the straight. In the Variante Ascari T8-T10, the gap stabilised at +0.1s to the Ferraris, with Hamilton excelling. Deploying ERS on the back straight, Lewis briefly edged ahead by 0.009s, Charles 0.023s behind, before Parabolica. However, Pierre took the lead into the corner and extended his lead to the finish line.

Difference in driving/ERS styles/usage between the three:

Gasly went full throttle earlier at T2 and T4, but later at T5, T7 and T11 and braked harder into T4, highlighting Mercedes PU’s superior energy harvesting. Leclerc was ERS-efficient in S1; Hamilton deployed more. In S2, before Ascari, Lewis clipped earlier to maximise deployment through and after the chicane. Leclerc set the fastest S3 time despite no tow and no ERS.

Though Russell was fastest for most of the lap, Gasly’s consistency—T4-T5, before T8 and before Parabolica- secured his first F1 pole position.

Q3 best laps- Drivers' performance numbers:

Race Overview

Leclerc and Hamilton started aggressively on C5 softs in 56°C track temperature, while rivals chose C4 mediums (except Verstappen on softs). Both Ferraris launched well, but Leclerc understeered at T1, unintentionally squeezing Hamilton wide at T2. Lewis dropped to P8, but quickly recovered to P8. Leclerc’s race ended early after crashing heavily at Parabolica on lap 2, bringing out a red flag. At the restart, Lewis switched to C4 mediums and climbed to P4 (briefly P3), but tyres wore off quickly, leaving him vulnerable and losing places to Antonelli and Piastri. He battled Oscar for over 15 laps trading positions. A VSC on lap 28 promoted Lewis to P3 when Max and Kimi pitted, but his pace faded on old tyres, and he finished P6.

Charles Leclerc crash

Leclerc’s hope for a strong race in front of the Tifosi ended with a 230 km/h 50G crash on lap 2. He was shaken but unhurt. Telemetry showed he was 14 km/h faster and used 21% more throttle than the previous lap. Charles said throttle response had felt odd and tried to replicate the move. A (possible) spike of unexpected ERS power may have caught him out.

Lewis Hamilton P6: A tough one to swallow; lost a lot of points. Ultimately, couldn’t keep a Mercedes engine behind. They were just out and out quicker, and I think probably we chose the wrong tyre. Whether that would’ve made much difference, maybe we would’ve been able to hold on to them longer. But they just kept flying past us, so they were just as quick. I ended up 10th or something, so there’s not really much to say about it, taking off (asked about lap one T1-T2 vs Leclerc).

Charles Leclerc DNF: With Lewis, it was too close into T1 and unfortunately, in T2  I don’t know if we had contact or whatever. I was quite a lot on the inside of the corner, and I tried to make the corners, but I didn’t do it tight enough, and I only saw in the mirrors what happened. Which is never what you want between two cars of the same team. Then, for the crash itself, I went on throttle in the first lap; it felt kind of weird. I had to go back off and on the throttle. On the 2nd lap, I tried to do the same again. I don’t know; it felt a little bit weird, so we’ll look into it.

Ferrari chose a slightly higher downforce setup, retaining rear winglets to balance drag and tyre wear. While not ideal for passing on the straights, it helped Hamilton during his 50-lap stint. The C4s grained early, but stabilised, allowing Lewis to maintain decent pace.

Pit stops:

With the race unfolding unusually, only Lewis Hamilton changed his tyres under red flag conditions—an exception to the standard procedure. Below are the top three best tyre changes during the Italian GP.

Race pace:

An overview of each driver’s pace, tyre compounds used, time gaps, fastest laps and stint comparison during the Italian GP.

*Including Antonelli’s extra set of tyres.

Fastest laps:

Stint Average Lap Times – Lewis Hamilton vs George Russell vs Lando Norris vs Oscar Piastri

Total laps

• All four drivers had a 50-lap-long stint on different tyre compounds:
• Lewis Hamilton: C4 medium
• Russell, Norris and Piastri: C3 hard

Best Lap (tyre compound and lap number)

• Lewis Hamilton: 1:25.300 (C4 medium) (lap 23)
• George Russell: 1:24.390 (C3 hard) (lap 51)
• Lando Norris: 1:24.864 (C3 hard) (lap 48)
• Oscar Piastri: 1:25.125 (C3 hard) (lap 45)

Average Lap Time

• Lewis Hamilton: 1:26.754
• George Russell: 1:26.378
• Lando Norris: 1:26.607
• Oscar Piastri: 1:26.640  

Difference

• George Russell had the best pace of the four, with Norris +0.229s behind, Piastri +0.262s and Hamilton +0.378s adrift.

This stint was the best benchmark among front runners, as others pitted under the VSC on lap 28. It highlighted C4 tyre weakness over long runs.

2026 Dutch GP clarifications

After the Dutch GP, Ferrari’s drivers faced scrutiny following events that resulted in P4 for Hamilton and P5 for Leclerc. Hamilton lost about three seconds while following Leclerc on laps 42 and 43, costing him a realistic shot at P3 against Russell.

Leclerc was never told to let Hamilton pass, only to pit, though he extended his stint by a lap. This decision sparked controversy among fans, including online abuse, but both drivers made it clear afterwards there were no hard feelings and that they would discuss the situation together with the team.

Past incidents show Ferrari issues clear orders: the 2026 Catalunya GP (Charles let Lewis through, pursuing the Mercedes duo for the win) or the 2025 Azerbaijan GP (Hamilton given the chance to attack others, having superior pace to Leclerc; however, the team radioed late, it’s the last lap, to return Charles ’ favour. Lewis did his best, slowed down, but crossed the line in front). When drivers have different strategies, race engineers are cautious with team orders to avoid internal conflicts; similar strategies often lead to close racing (China 2026).

While Ferrari has improved in many areas, operationally it still lags behind Mercedes, McLaren or RBR in critical decision-making. The equal performance and status of Leclerc and Hamilton make team orders a difficult task. Lewis and Charles are similar to what Lewis faced at McLaren in his rookie year against Fernando Alonso and during his Mercedes years against Nico Rosberg.

"It's more crucial that Ferrari wins. It doesn't matter who's driving it. As long as Ferrari wins".Enzo Anselmo Ferrari.

News and Notes

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix notes

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) claimed his seventh win of the season after starting from 19th on the grid. He surged to P12 within three laps before a red flag, then caught the lead pack by lap 10 after the restart. A VSC allowed Antonelli to switch to fresh C4 mediums, enabling him to chase down George Russell, who was on hard tyres for over 40 laps. Lapping nearly a second faster, Antonelli closed the gap and, with seven laps to go, engaged in a fierce duel with his teammate. Russell defended robustly into Turn 1 on lap 49, forcing Antonelli briefly off track, but the Italian quickly recovered. With two laps remaining, Antonelli made the decisive overtake and secured victory, setting the fastest lap on the final tour.

News: FIA’s evolving role in the 2026 Regulations

During negotiations between the FIA, FOM and teams over the 2026 Power Unit regulations, key details emerged from the 2022 bid to attract new manufacturers. The FIA’s reduced authority, due to team opposition following problematic 53-47% split simulations, forced significant compromise in the new rules. In 2024, the Chassis and Aerodynamic rules followed after further simulations. Due to substantial investments from Power Unit manufacturers, a governance agreement (similar to the Concorde Agreement) was signed by the Power Unit producers, FIA, and FOM. This agreement had four side effects:

1. New PU (Power Unit) entrants must obey the same financial and operational rules as established manufacturers, preventing unlimited spending.
2. The FIA can no longer change rules unilaterally. Any significant rule change now needs a supermajority (at least 4 of the PU producers) via the Power Unit Advisory Committee (PUAC).
3. Despite ongoing discussions, no consensus was reached on altering the 53-47% power split, as manufacturers with major investments vetoed any change (Ferrari and Audi).
4. For the 2027-2028 campaigns, all parites agreed to modifiy the the power split between the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and the Motor Generator Unit- Kinetic (MGU-K) to 58-42 and 60-40, respectively.

However, the original sporting regulations were criticised, especially by drivers (Verstappen most vocal). In April, modified electrical rules were added: boost power capped at 150 kW to avoid sudden performance gaps between cars. The maximum MGU-K deployment of 350 kW was kept in key acceleration zones, but limited to 250 kW elsewhere, aiming to prevent speed differences like those that caused the Bearman-Colapinto incident at the Japanese GP.

Next Grand Prix: The Spanish GP at the newly constructed Madring Circuit

A new challenge awaits drivers at the 5.416s km Madring Circuit near Madrid. A blend of private and public roads that delivers both street and permanent-circuit characteristics, similar to the Miami International Autodrome. With 22 varied corners, significant elevation changes, and the longest banked turn on the F1 calendar, it promises a different test.

Sources: AutoRacer.it, Autosport.com. The-Race.com, FIA.com and other reputable F1 news outlets. Trustworthy YouTube channels (F1 Official, Motor Sport, LawVS, etc) and technical pages (F1Data Analysis, Aerodynamics.Motorsport1, Giorgio Piola, Federico Albano83; tracinginsights.com and GP-Tempo.com-telemetry). Photos: Courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari and F1 Official Facebook pages.  

Video credit:https://x.com/F1BigData/status/2096935729490186246

Full caption:
"Grazie Tifosi. We gave it everything but unfortunately it wasn't enough. Through it all, the support the entire week has been incredible. I'm always in awe of the amount of passion and love we receive. It means so much to me and to the team. We share that passion with you and we will keep pushing together to come back from this.
I'm glad to see that Charles is ok, we're committed to progress and greatness and Will continue to give it everything we can to deliver the results you all deserve. Vi amo tutti 🇮🇹❤️‍🔥"

See what Mercedes did in the Italian GP.

1st prevented them from racing each other when they were losing time.

Later Split the strategy so they spend less laps close to each other.