Published 5 Sept 2026, 05:03 UTC
Week 35, 2026
Ferrari opened Monza with promise, Mercedes topped FP2 through George Russell, and McLaren looked less comfortable. Friday left a clearer sense of the frontrunners, but qualifying will still be crucial at Monza.
Ferrari brought its second power-unit upgrade of the season to Monza, and the first Friday evidence is encouraging but inconclusive. Mercedes and Ferrari traded the pace at the front on Friday, leaving the upgrade’s full impact unclear.
Red Bull expected Monza to suit the car better than Zandvoort, but Friday practice raised doubts. Verstappen’s radio complaints and the team’s admission that it has an issue point to a problem that may be bigger than one session.
McLaren’s Friday at Monza sounded less like a pole challenge and more like a warning. Lando Norris said the team is not in the fight for Italian GP pole, raising questions about this weekend and whether the pace issue is track-specific or more serious.
Pierre Gasly has lost his Monaco podium again after the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated his penalties, and Flavio Briatore’s public attack has turned the dispute into a wider governance test for F1.
Formula 1 is preparing to shorten grands prix in 2027 as it reshapes the balance between electrical and combustion power. The move could alter strategy, race flow and the sport’s long-form identity.
Formula 1’s commercial boom is about more than team sponsorship. The series is becoming a broader business asset, and that shift is changing what power looks like in the sport.
