2026 Italian GP FP1 live from Monza
Good afternoon and welcome back, dear ScuderiaFans.com readers. We are live from Monza to bring you minute-by-minute coverage of Free Practice 1 for the 2026 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, with the opening session scheduled to run from 12:30 to 13:30 local time.
After the Sprint weekend at Zandvoort, Formula 1 returns to its traditional Grand Prix format for a weekend that is expected to be heavily influenced by the intense heat in Brianza. That should make the opening practice sessions even more significant, particularly when it comes to tyre management, Power Unit performance and battery management, with cooling and energy deployment potentially becoming important factors.
Ferrari begins its home weekend with updated Power Unit
There is already plenty to watch on Friday as the teams search for the right set-up compromise on a circuit that leaves little room for compromise. The exceptionally long straights of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza demand an extreme low-downforce aerodynamic configuration, with engineers looking to avoid sacrificing even half a kilometre per hour of straight-line speed when such a small difference could prove decisive.
Attention will inevitably be focused on home team Ferrari. The Scuderia begins its track programme with a fresh and updated Power Unit featuring the second ADUO development token, an evolution that has been one of the major technical talking points ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. The latest specification includes work connected to Ferrari’s wider ADUO-2 turbo development, while the overall objective goes beyond simply extracting additional peak horsepower from the SF-26.
Monza’s unique characteristics should provide an especially revealing test. With so much of the lap spent at high speed and full throttle, Ferrari will be able to assess the behaviour of its updated SF-26 Power Unit under some of the most demanding conditions of the season. The team has also adapted the car specifically for the circuit, including changes designed to reduce drag and improve efficiency at Monza.
Kimi Antonelli faces a recovery drive from the back
Another major focus will be Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver has also taken a new engine for his home Grand Prix, but unlike Ferrari’s drivers, he has exceeded the permitted allocation of four units and will therefore have to recover from the back of the grid.
That gives the Italian another unusual challenge on a weekend already shaped by extreme temperatures, demanding energy management and the search for maximum efficiency on Formula 1’s fastest straights.
Will the opening session immediately provide some surprises? Follow all the action with us as we bring you live, minute-by-minute text coverage and commentary from every session of the 2026 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
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