Formula 1 heads to Monza for one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the season, as well as Scuderia Ferrari HP's home race.

The thirteenth round of the World Championship promises to be a unique weekend even before the cars take to the track. Monza will be more than just a race weekend: it will be a special occasion for the Maranello team to honour its home crowd, a circuit that is part of motorsport legend and a champion who forever changed the history of the company while embodying its deepest values: Michael Schumacher.

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix marks a special anniversary: 30 years since Michael Schumacher's first Monza victory with the Scuderia. On 8 September 1996, the German champion took his first Italian Grand Prix win at the wheel of a Ferrari, the F310, beginning a story that would see him triumph a further four times at the Brianza circuit, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. To celebrate the anniversary, Charles and Lewis' cars will take to the track in a special livery.

Inaugurated in 1922, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is one of the oldest circuits still on the calendar and has hosted the Italian Grand Prix in every season of the Formula 1 World Championship with the exception of 1980, when the race was held at Imola. Its 5.793 kilometres retain a unique character within the championship: long straights, extremely high speeds and relatively few corners, almost all of which have become part of the history of the sport. From the Variante della Roggia to the two Lesmo corners and the Variante Ascari, through to the Curva Alboreto - once known simply as the Parabolica - leading back onto the main straight, every section contributes to making Monza a challenge unlike any other on the calendar.

With the new generation of cars introduced in 2026, the traditional quest for aerodynamic efficiency takes on different characteristics. Active aero allows drag to be reduced on the straights through Straight Mode, before the wings return to a configuration providing greater downforce for the corners. Energy management will be equally important. The long straights will put the 2026 power units to the test, with the electrical component playing a much greater role than in the previous generation. Recovering and making the best possible use of the available energy will therefore be one of the key factors over the weekend, both over a single lap and across the race distance. Braking stability and traction remain just as important as ever. Monza features some of the most demanding deceleration zones of the season, starting with the braking zone for the first chicane at the end of the main straight. At the same time, getting a strong exit from the chicanes and the Lesmo corners is essential to carry as much speed as possible onto the long sections that follow.

The circuit layout has often made it possible to complete the Grand Prix with a single pit stop, but tyre management and the track conditions observed during free practice will be decisive in determining the most effective strategy. With this year's cars, energy management during on-track battles will also play an important role. Overtake Mode allows a driver who is within one second of the car ahead at the detection point to access additional electrical power on the following lap, an opportunity that could prove particularly significant on Monza's long straights. Traffic in qualifying will be another variable to manage. On a circuit where slipstream can have a significant effect on lap time, finding the ideal position relative to the other cars can provide an advantage. However, waiting too long before starting a flying lap brings the opposite risk, as well as the possibility of seeing the chequered flag before being able to start the final attempt. In the closing stages of Q1, Q2 and Q3, accurately managing the timing of the pit exit and the preparation for the flying lap will therefore be crucial.

Fred Vasseur: Monza is always a very special weekend for Ferrari. Racing in front of our tifosi gives the whole team incredible energy and this year there will be an additional emotional dimension as we celebrate Michael Schumacher and the legacy he has left in our company. His relentless pursuit of improvement, attention to detail and strong belief in teamwork are values that remain key to us today. On the performance side, we are introducing an updated power unit as part of the development opportunities available under ADUO. It represents a step in the right direction and as we know this year is very much about marginal gains. Monza is a demanding circuit and the field is extremely close, and our priority will be to execute every aspect of the weekend as well as possible, from Friday onwards. We want to draw extra motivation from the passion of our home crowd and give our tifosi a strong weekend.

Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix

76 GP contested
1950 Debut (A. Ascari e D. Serafini 2nd; P. Whitehead 7th; C. Biondetti rit.)
20 (26.31%) Wins
23 (30.26%) Pole Positions
19 (25.00%) Fastest Laps
72 (31.58%) Podiums

Three questions to Piero Ferrari

You have experienced Monza and Ferrari over many decades. Is there something that, despite how much Formula 1 and the Scuderia may have changed, remains the same every time Ferrari comes to Monza?
Piero Ferrari: Every time we come to Monza, what strikes me most is the warmth of the fans. Monza has always been a special place for Ferrari, and there is always an expectation that the team can do something special, regardless of how the season has gone up to that point. The unique atmosphere of the circuit, the support from the fans and the passion you can feel here produce a special energy for the whole team, encouraging everyone and the drivers to give their very best.

Michael Schumacher won at Monza in 1996, in his first season with Ferrari, and this weekend our livery takes its inspiration from the one we had back then. What do you remember about that day and, looking back on it 30 years later, how important was that victory in building the bond between Michael, Ferrari and the fans?
PF: At the beginning of the Schumacher era, Ferrari was not yet in a position to fight consistently for victories, but Michael was still able to produce great results thanks to his extraordinary qualities. His victory at Monza in 1996 is a perfect example: it was a performance worthy of a great champion, at a venue that has a particular significance for Ferrari. I believe that day was also important in terms of the relationship between Michael and the fans. He had only been at Ferrari for a few months and had already won in Spain and Belgium, but winning at Monza, in front of that crowd, helped to create a bond that would grow ever stronger in the years that followed. Michael understood what it meant to race for Ferrari and how important that was to our fans, and I believe that this was also why he became such an important part of their history and earned such a special place in their hearts.

When we talk about Michael Schumacher's legacy at Ferrari, we think of the wins and championships. But behind those results were values such as discipline, teamwork, attention to detail and the desire to improve continuously. Which of these aspects do you think left the deepest mark on Ferrari's culture, and what remains of Michael's approach within today's Scuderia?
PF: Yes, that's true. In Michael's time, there was a major change in the way we worked. Until then, the development of the car was based mainly on what the driver felt, his comments and the technical data gathered on track. Michael took this a step further: he also began to study what he was doing inside the car. I remember that he would take the telemetry data home with him so that he could analyse every detail of his driving, understand where he could improve and identify the points on the circuit where he could make the difference. This extremely methodical, data-driven approach had a profound impact on Ferrari's culture, and it is still reflected in certain practices within the team today.

Naturally, times were very different then. Back then there was far more testing, and all this analysis helped to prepare as thoroughly as possible for practice, qualifying and the race. Today, the regulations place much greater restrictions on testing, but the principle remains the same. Michael demonstrated how important it was to study every detail, use data as a tool for improvement and prepare with the utmost care, even when away from the track. I believe this ability to analyse your own work and constantly look for ways to improve is one of the most significant legacies he left Ferrari.

Italian Grand Prix - Facts and Figures

10. The millions of people who live in Lombardy, the Italian region in which Monza is located. It is the most populous of Italy's 20 regions. In fact, one in six Italians are from Lombardy.

55,27. The length, in metres, of the world's longest chocolate train. Last January, the Winter Games Express, a train made entirely of chocolate and weighing 2.8 tonnes, was officially recognised by Guinness World Records. It was an initiative linked to Milano Cortina 2026.

73'24''. The duration, in minutes and seconds, of the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, the fastest edition in history. It broke Michael Schumacher's record, set in 2003 with the F2003-GA, when he completed the race in 74'20".

75. The number of food products made in Lombardy that have protected designation of origin status. The region has 20 DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) products, 14 IGP (Protected Geographical Indication ), five DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin) wines, 21 DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines and 15 IGT (Typical Geographic Indication) wines.

1840. On 18 August of that year, the Milan-Monza railway was inaugurated, the second railway line in Italy after the one between Naples and Portici. It was an indication of how Monza was already a pioneering transport destination, 82 years before the construction of the Autodromo.