F1 Italian Grand Prix 2026: Monza, September 4-6
The 2026 F1 Italian Grand Prix runs at Autodromo Nazionale Monza from September 4 to 6, Round 13 of 23 and Ferrari's home race. It is a conventional weekend, not one of the six 2026 sprints. Standings going in, after Zandvoort: Kimi Antonelli 242 pts, George Russell 183, Lewis Hamilton 183 (behind on countback), Lando Norris 159. Constructors: Mercedes 425, Ferrari 338, McLaren 263, Red Bull 186. Norris won the Dutch GP on August 23; Max Verstappen crashed out on lap 1. Sources: formula1.com, Monza (monzanet.it), RacingNews365, Crash.net.
The context
Formula 1 arrives at Monza on September 4 for the thirteenth round of a season that Mercedes have largely controlled. Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ championship on 242 points after finishing second at Zandvoort, 59 clear of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who are level on 183 with Russell ahead on countback. Mercedes have 425 points in the Constructors’ standings, 87 more than Ferrari. The Italian Grand Prix is a conventional three-day weekend, not one of the six sprint rounds, so the running order is practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday afternoon.
The last race set up the storylines. Lando Norris won at Zandvoort by 11.5 seconds over Antonelli, his McLaren finally converting pace into a result, while Max Verstappen crashed out at the banked final corner on the opening lap and brought out a red flag. It was Zandvoort’s farewell to the calendar, so Verstappen’s home crowd got the worst possible ending. Red Bull leave the Netherlands fourth among the constructors on 186 points, a long way from where the team spent the previous decade.
Monza is the fastest track in Formula 1 and it rewards a different car than almost anywhere else. Teams strip downforce for the four long straights, drivers hold full throttle for roughly 80% of the lap, and top speeds pass 350 km/h. Slipstreaming makes qualifying chaotic and the tow can be worth several tenths, which is why Monza sessions often end with a queue of cars refusing to lead the train. Historically the layout has flattered strong power units, and Ferrari have every reason to want that to still be true in front of the tifosi.
For Ferrari, the home race carries the usual weight and this year a specific one. Hamilton is tied for second in the drivers’ championship and the team sit second in the constructors’ table, close enough to Mercedes to make a good Monza matter but far enough behind that a single result will not change the season. The circuit’s own future is at least settled: Formula 1 extended Monza’s contract to 2031 in November 2024, so unlike Zandvoort this is not a goodbye.
Nine rounds remain after Italy, including the Singapore sprint on October 9-11. Antonelli’s lead is large but not mathematically safe, and the second half of the calendar mixes street circuits and high-downforce tracks that have suited Ferrari and McLaren more than the flat-out layouts. Monza is the last of the pure power circuits before that shift, which makes it a useful read on whether Mercedes’ advantage is aerodynamic, mechanical, or simply operational.
People also ask
True or false?
Confirmed by the race organisers and F1: the August 23, 2026 race was the sixth and final edition, with no Dutch GP from 2027. (Formula 1)
The opposite, actually. F1 extended the Italian Grand Prix at Monza through 2031 back in November 2024. (Motorsport.com)
The six 2026 sprints are Shanghai, Miami, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort and Singapore. Monza runs the classic format. (Formula 1, FIA)
A 59-point lead with ten rounds left is comfortable, not decisive: more than 200 points are still on the table. (Crash.net)
Around 80% of the lap at full throttle and speeds past 350 km/h, the highest average lap speed of the season. (Formula 1)
He lost it at the banked final corner on lap 1 at Zandvoort and the race was red-flagged. No points, no farewell. (FIA)