Active aerodynamics could bring an end to one of Formula 1’s longest-standing Monza traditions: the extreme, circuit-specific low-downforce packages created almost exclusively for the Italian Grand Prix. For decades, engineers treated the Temple of Speed as a unique aerodynamic challenge, but the 2026 regulations and Straight Line Mode may make those dedicated solutions increasingly unnecessary.
The 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza remains one of the most distinctive technical tests on the Formula 1 calendar. Its long straights have historically pushed teams towards aerodynamic configurations rarely seen anywhere else, as engineers searched relentlessly for the lowest possible drag and the highest achievable straight-line speed.
Why Monza traditionally required unique aerodynamic packages
For generations of Formula 1 cars, the basic objective at Monza was straightforward: minimise aerodynamic resistance without sacrificing more downforce than the car could tolerate through the circuit’s corners and braking zones. Front and rear wings were therefore adapted by reducing their angle of incidence, curvature and chord as far as possible.
Almost every team developed what became known as a “Monza package”. These configurations were often designed specifically for one race and sometimes included experimental or particularly aggressive solutions. Depending on how effectively they performed during practice, those concepts were either retained for the Grand Prix or abandoned before the race.
That tradition remains visible even in the modern era, although the way teams search for efficiency has evolved. Ferrari’s own 2026 Monza aerodynamic approach reflects how the demands of the circuit continue to influence the way engineers reduce drag.
Williams FW19 produced one of Monza’s most extreme rear wings
Perhaps the most striking example of Monza-specific experimentation came from the Williams FW19 in 1997. The British team tested an extraordinary rear-wing configuration featuring only the lower profile attached to the deformable structure connected to the gearbox, with no upper profile at all.
The extreme solution was never actually used in the race, but it remains a memorable example of the creativity generated by the relentless pursuit of maximum speed on Monza’s straights.
Not every experiment went quite that far. Formula 1 history is filled with Monza wings featuring extremely reduced upper flaps. One notable example was the Renault R26, the car that won both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Its rear wing used a single profile that was almost neutral through the centre before sloping slightly downwards towards the sides.
Red Bull continued the low-drag tradition in recent seasons
The philosophy survived well into the latest generation of Formula 1 cars. In 2024, Red Bull raced at Monza with a standard rear wing that had been visibly trimmed to reduce its chord in strategically selected areas.
One year later, Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix using another aggressively unloaded rear-wing configuration. Red Bull began with a low-downforce wing and pushed the concept even further, particularly by reducing the load generated through the central section.
These solutions illustrate why Monza has long held a special place in Formula 1 technical analysis. At most circuits, teams search for the best compromise between downforce and drag. At Monza, that balance traditionally moved much further towards reducing resistance than anywhere else.
Active aerodynamics changes the Monza equation
The current Formula 1 regulations could now bring that era to an end. The technical framework combines an approximately equal contribution from electrical and combustion power, an intense focus on harvesting energy to recharge the battery and the introduction of active aerodynamics.
The crucial element for Monza is Straight Line Mode. The system can dramatically change the angle of the aerodynamic profiles at both the front and rear of the car, theoretically allowing teams to run sufficient downforce through the corners before switching to an extremely low-drag configuration on the straights.
That capability changes the fundamental compromise that once made a dedicated Monza wing necessary. Instead of committing the car to permanently low wing angles for the entire lap, active aerodynamics can provide very different configurations depending on whether the car is cornering or travelling along a straight.
Why ultra-low-downforce wings could become a disadvantage
As a result, traditional low-incidence solutions may no longer simply be unnecessary. Under the current regulatory framework, they could even become counterproductive.
If Straight Line Mode already removes a significant amount of drag when required, starting from an extremely unloaded aerodynamic configuration could leave the car without enough downforce in the corners while offering relatively little additional benefit on the straights.
The challenge therefore changes from creating the smallest possible Monza wing to designing an aerodynamic platform capable of exploiting both operating states effectively. The engineers still have to balance efficiency, stability and energy usage, but the tools available to them are fundamentally different.
Monaco could become the last home of extreme circuit-specific aero
Formula 1 may therefore have to say goodbye to the traditional “Monza package” and perhaps to some of the imaginative aerodynamic experiments that have characterised the Italian Grand Prix for decades.
One circuit could still preserve that tradition for the opposite reason. Monaco continues to demand maximum downforce rather than minimum drag, and this season teams again produced specific solutions aimed at generating as much aerodynamic load as possible around the narrow streets of the Principality.
Monza will remain one of Formula 1’s great engineering challenges, but active aerodynamics could fundamentally alter the way teams approach it. The pursuit of straight-line speed is not disappearing; what may disappear is the extraordinary collection of ultra-trimmed wings and one-off aerodynamic concepts that made the Italian Grand Prix technically unique for so many years.
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