Charles Leclerc is hoping Ferrari’s latest Monza upgrades will prove more effective on the circuit than they appeared in the simulator after testing the revised engine and floor package prepared for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. The Monegasque did not feel a dramatic improvement virtually, but his recent experience at Silverstone and Spa has given him reason to reserve judgement until the SF-26 runs on track.
Ferrari will attack its home Grand Prix with its second engine development of the season alongside further revisions to the floor introduced at Zandvoort. The opportunity at Monza is particularly significant because Mercedes has confirmed that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start from the back of the grid after taking new engine components, potentially removing one of the Scuderia’s strongest rivals from the immediate fight at the front.
Charles Leclerc cautious after Ferrari Monza simulator test
The high-speed characteristics of Monza had already made the Italian Grand Prix the chosen venue for Ferrari’s second ADUO engine upgrade. The new specification is said to include changes to the turbocharger together with a new Shell fuel, with the expected performance improvement estimated at around two tenths of a second per lap at the Temple of Speed.
Ferrari are also believed to have extracted approximately another 15 horsepower from the internal combustion engine with this second development step. The upgrade forms part of the wider effort to reduce the engine deficit highlighted by the latest FIA ADUO assessment.
However, Leclerc did not emerge from his simulator running expecting a dramatic transformation. He explained that the change in energy management at Monza would be considerable, but recalled that simulator data had also left him sceptical about Ferrari’s prospects at Spa and Silverstone. Once he drove the car on those circuits, the feeling proved significantly better than he had anticipated, and he hopes the same pattern will repeat itself in Italy.
Why the 2026 Italian GP will feel very different at Monza
Leclerc also expects the demands of Monza to change considerably under the current generation of Formula 1 machinery. In previous years, drivers were accustomed to arriving at the circuit with an extreme low-downforce approach, with the Ferrari driver describing reductions of around 100 points of downforce in the pursuit of maximum speed along the straights.
For 2026, however, Leclerc indicated that Ferrari will arrive with a configuration much closer to what it uses during the rest of the season. He identified that as potentially the biggest difference compared with previous visits to Monza, alongside the reduced noise he referenced when discussing the characteristics of the current cars.
That means the challenge will extend beyond simply reducing drag and chasing top speed. Energy management will also play a major role around a circuit dominated by long full-throttle sections, making Friday practice particularly important for establishing how accurately Ferrari’s simulations represent the real car.
Leclerc says the simulator cannot fully reveal the engine gain
Another reason for Leclerc’s caution is the difficulty of evaluating a Power Unit improvement through simulator work alone. He acknowledged that Ferrari is confident the new specification represents progress, but warned against expecting one development to completely transform the championship picture.
The Monegasque admitted that he found it difficult to distinguish accurately between the previous and upgraded engines while driving in the simulator. As a result, his attention is firmly on Friday running at Monza, when Ferrari will finally be able to measure the new package under real track conditions.
That caution comes despite a productive recent period in Charles Leclerc’s 2026 Ferrari campaign. He won the British Grand Prix in July before challenging for another victory at Spa, where he ultimately finished second behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
At Silverstone, Ferrari also benefited when Antonelli’s front-left wheel shield failed while the Mercedes driver was applying significant pressure to Leclerc in the battle for the lead. The race nevertheless reinforced Leclerc’s belief that simulator expectations do not always translate directly into the performance he experiences once the car reaches the circuit.
Antonelli penalty gives Ferrari another opportunity at Monza
Mercedes has already confirmed that Antonelli will start his home Grand Prix from the back of the grid as the team uses Monza to install new engine components. The circuit offers greater overtaking possibilities than many venues, but the penalty still means George Russell is expected to become the main focus of Mercedes’ challenge to Ferrari at the front.
More detail on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Monza grid penalty is available on GP-News.
For Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s objective will be to determine whether its new engine can reduce the advantage the Mercedes W17 has shown in straight-line performance. Leclerc’s simulator impressions have not convinced him to predict a major step, but neither has he ruled out a more encouraging picture emerging once the SF-26 begins running at Monza.
Ferrari modifies Zandvoort floor for the Italian Grand Prix
The Power Unit is not Ferrari’s only technical change for its home weekend. The Scuderia has also made smaller revisions to the floor specification introduced at Zandvoort, continuing the development of the aerodynamic package used at the Dutch Grand Prix.
According to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, the latest floor features a modified profile around the bargeboard area together with a return to a single vertical element. The objective is to allow the SF-26 to carry more speed through the corners and consequently require less battery energy during acceleration.
The revisions form part of Ferrari’s broader evolved SF-26 package for Monza, combining aerodynamic refinements with the new engine specification rather than relying on one single change to deliver the required performance.
Leclerc therefore enters the Italian Grand Prix with cautious optimism rather than firm expectations. Ferrari’s simulator has not indicated a huge leap, but after being positively surprised by the SF-26 at Silverstone and Spa, he is prepared to wait until Friday before deciding what the latest Maranello developments can truly deliver.
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