Ferrari has not arrived at Monza with the kind of overwhelming engine advantage once associated with some of its famous Italian Grand Prix weekends. The new ADUO2 Power Unit is a step forward, reportedly worth around 15 horsepower when combined with the new Shell fuel, but it has not eliminated the remaining deficit to Mercedes. Instead, the Scuderia is staying close by exploiting the strengths of the SF-26 chassis and aerodynamics.
That approach produced an encouraging Friday. Charles Leclerc finished just 0.120 seconds behind George Russell during the qualifying simulation after Ferrari had already raised hopes in the grandstands with a one-two in FP1. Monza is not, on paper, a circuit that should particularly favour the SF-26, yet Ferrari is again attempting to overturn expectations in the same way it managed at Barcelona and Silverstone.
Ferrari’s ADUO2 engine is an improvement, not a Monza ‘super-engine’
Ferrari’s Monza tradition was once strongly associated with the motorone — the exceptionally powerful engine expected to appear on Saturday and deliver pole position, perhaps even an all-Ferrari front row. That alone could be enough to satisfy the Tifosi, even if many of those weekends ultimately ended in defeat. It belonged to another Ferrari and another era of Formula 1.
The Scuderia has certainly not abandoned its history. Its tribute to Michael Schumacher, the extraordinary champion whose life has sadly been transformed since his accident, highlighted how deeply the roots planted during Ferrari’s dominant period at the beginning of the 2000s have grown. The Michael Schumacher-inspired Monza tribute has formed an emotional backdrop to the team’s home weekend.
But modern Ferrari has changed with Formula 1 and its regulations. ADUO2 has made its debut at Monza, yet this is not a return of the old-style motorone. The update is considered a genuine step forward, with an increase of around 15 horsepower also linked to the new Shell fuel, but it does not completely close the performance gap to Mercedes’ six-cylinder engine.
That is why Ferrari prepared for the Italian Grand Prix by concentrating on the qualities it can exploit elsewhere on the SF-26. The latest ADUO2 turbo development provides additional support, but Maranello’s challenge at Monza is being built just as much around chassis performance, aerodynamic efficiency and energy management.
Charles Leclerc puts Ferrari just 0.12s behind Mercedes
Leclerc ended Friday second and only 120 milliseconds behind Russell during the qualifying simulation. That followed the Ferrari pairing’s one-two in the opening practice session, which inevitably raised the excitement level among the Tifosi.
No one inside the team is getting carried away, but there is hope that Ferrari can reproduce what it achieved at Barcelona and Silverstone, two circuits that had also appeared unfavourable to the SF-26 on paper. Mercedes remains the clear favourite at Monza, yet Ferrari is within striking distance.
One reason may be that, under the current regulations, Monza is slightly less of a pure temple of speed than it once was. The amount of electrical energy that can be recovered is limited, forcing teams to distribute hybrid power as efficiently as possible along the circuit’s long straights.
Against that background, it is notable that Lewis Hamilton reached 331.4 km/h while George Russell recorded 331.1 km/h, leaving the two almost identical in terms of outright maximum speed.
Loïc Serra’s Ferrari engineers choose more downforce than expected
Loïc Serra and Ferrari’s engineers have concluded that running the car in a completely stripped-out, ultra-low-downforce configuration does not pay at Monza this year. Strong speed through the chicanes and corners is needed to generate good traction without relying excessively on electrical deployment.
The objective is therefore still efficiency, but not at the expense of carrying a level of downforce that would previously have seemed unusual for Monza. On the straights, Ferrari can meanwhile take advantage of Straight Line Mode.
That philosophy is also reflected in the specific SF-26 FTM modifications introduced for Monza, where Ferrari has attempted to find a better compromise between drag reduction, rear-end stability and overall efficiency.
The SF-26 is particularly strong through Monza’s two chicanes, the Prima Variante and the Variante della Roggia, while it also holds its own through the Lesmo corners. Ferrari loses ground to the Mercedes W17 on the first three straights, however.
Ferrari and Mercedes deploy their hybrid energy differently
Telemetry highlights an interesting difference between the two cars. Mercedes releases electrical energy through those opening sections, helping the W17 build an advantage early in the lap. It then reaches the section from the Variante Ascari towards Parabolica with less battery energy available, precisely where Ferrari releases more of its own electrical charge.
Each team is therefore pursuing its own interpretation of the optimal Monza lap, and Ferrari’s relative competitiveness is not simply a consequence of the new engine. The complete Ferrari upgrade package for the Italian Grand Prix combines Power Unit development with work on the chassis and floor as Maranello searches for performance across the whole car.
Fred Vasseur nevertheless warned against drawing firm conclusions from Friday because fuel loads, engine maps and programmes remain different between teams.
“From one session to another, we all use different fuel levels, different mappings and the situation is very difficult to read, even for us,” Fred Vasseur explained. “We just have to stay focused on ourselves and try to get the maximum. We’ll have a sort of convergence in the approach for FP3.”
There is therefore a suspicion that some teams may have kept performance in reserve, but Ferrari has at least received confirmation that it can remain in contention. Its prospects are also helped by Andrea Kimi Antonelli dropping to the back of the grid after taking his fifth engine.
Ferrari wants two cars at the front rather than planned slipstream tactics
The Scuderia has no intention of making its own task more complicated. No deliberate team games or planned slipstream exchanges are expected because, on this occasion, Ferrari believes both cars can qualify near the front and potentially create a two-against-one situation.
That represents a different strategic opportunity from a scenario in which one driver is already destined to start at the back and can therefore be used to assist his teammate.
Lewis Hamilton found Friday more difficult than Charles Leclerc and has not yet discovered the ideal balance for Monza, but the underlying SF-26 package appears well suited to Ferrari’s chosen approach.
Ferrari’s Monza aero package aims to give Hamilton and Leclerc confidence
The trimmed flap on the FTM system reduces the amount of rear downforce produced, while also freeing some of the engine performance that would otherwise be restricted by the blown-exhaust effect. Ferrari has therefore searched for additional efficiency without simply stripping the car of aerodynamic load.
The so-called Macarena wing is also not the extremely low-downforce version that was tested briefly at Spa. It retains the small appendages seen in the Netherlands, elements expected to be particularly useful in giving Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc greater confidence under braking.
Monza’s competitive picture is still evolving, but Ferrari appears to have chosen the right technical cards so far. The ADUO2 engine has contributed without transforming the SF-26 into an outright power benchmark, while the chassis, aero package and deployment strategy are allowing the Scuderia to compensate in other areas.
From this point, however, Ferrari will need near-perfect execution if it wants to turn Friday’s promise into a serious result. And execution has not always been the Prancing Horse’s strongest characteristic.
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