Ferrari’s Monza FP3 ended with Lewis Hamilton in second place, just 0.226 seconds behind George Russell, while Charles Leclerc finished sixth at 0.489 seconds from the Mercedes driver. The final practice session of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix suggested that fighting for pole position will be difficult for the Scuderia, but a place on the front row remains a realistic objective heading into qualifying at 16:00 CET.
Mercedes emerged from the final hour as the favourite for pole, particularly through George Russell, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli set to start from the back of the grid following a Power Unit change. Ferrari nevertheless showed enough pace to remain firmly involved near the front, although Red Bull and McLaren could also complicate the battle.
Ferrari Monza FP3 confirms progress but Mercedes still has an edge
Despite introducing an updated Power Unit through the ADUO system and seeing clear improvements, Ferrari had already shown a remaining deficit to the Mercedes-powered cars on Friday. A performance gap was expected because recovering the entire deficit with a single development step was always going to be extremely difficult.
The true extent of that difference will only become properly visible in qualifying, when Power Unit modes and overall performance move closer to their maximum. Ferrari will also need several races to fully understand and exploit the potential of the new specification, making Monza an important first reference rather than the definitive verdict on ADUO-2.
The broader significance of the upgrade goes beyond peak engine output, with the Ferrari SF-26 Power Unit development also placing significant emphasis on how effectively electrical energy can be managed and deployed across the lap.
Even with that remaining gap, Ferrari has demonstrated that it can perform strongly at Monza. FP3 was therefore crucial not only for final qualifying preparation but also for collecting further information for Sunday’s race.
Charles Leclerc starts strongly as Lewis Hamilton recovers from an error
Ferrari chose to begin its FP3 programme on the soft compound. After the opening attempt, Charles Leclerc moved into second place, around two tenths behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton was only 14th after making a mistake on his first run.
Following his opening lap, Charles Leclerc reported that he was happy with the car’s settings and did not feel any changes were necessary. Lewis Hamilton then completed his second flying attempt and moved to around six tenths behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s benchmark.
The seven-time world champion improved again shortly afterwards, climbing to fifth and reducing the deficit to around four tenths from George Russell’s best effort. Charles Leclerc also lowered his lap time, moving into third place, 0.378 seconds behind the British Mercedes driver.
At the end of the first stint, Charles Leclerc sat second at approximately two tenths from George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton third around three and a half tenths behind. The session continued to underline the promising characteristics Ferrari had already displayed on Friday, when the SF-26 showed strength through Monza’s chicanes and in late-lap energy deployment.
Lewis Hamilton uses Lando Norris tow to take second
With ten minutes remaining, both Ferrari drivers fitted fresh Soft tyres for their final qualifying simulations. Lewis Hamilton immediately produced a much stronger lap and moved into second position, approximately two tenths behind George Russell.
An important factor in that lap was the slipstream. Lewis Hamilton made effective use of a tow from Lando Norris, once again demonstrating just how significant track positioning will be during qualifying at Monza.
Charles Leclerc ended the session in sixth place, while Lewis Hamilton’s 0.226-second deficit to George Russell left Ferrari with encouraging evidence that it can compete near the front even if outright pole position currently appears more difficult.
The result also represents a notable response from Lewis Hamilton after a less convincing Friday afternoon. The British driver and Ferrari had worked overnight to address the balance and straight-line concerns identified after FP2, with the overnight Monza set-up work aimed at giving him a stronger platform for Saturday.
Mercedes favourite for pole but Ferrari can target the front rows
FP3 points towards Mercedes as the favourite for pole position, with George Russell the obvious contender given that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start from the rear following the replacement of the Power Unit on his W17.
Ferrari’s objective will be to qualify as far forward as possible, ideally somewhere across the first two rows. The Scuderia cannot focus solely on Mercedes, however, because both Red Bull and McLaren have the potential to challenge and alter the competitive order when qualifying begins.
For Ferrari, this will also be another important opportunity to evaluate an updated engine that has produced encouraging indications but has not yet completely erased the Mercedes advantage. Charles Leclerc had already assessed the Ferrari engine and floor developments introduced for the Italian Grand Prix, with the Monza weekend providing the first meaningful competitive test of the complete package.
Slipstream strategy could prove decisive in Monza qualifying
The tow will be one of the most important variables in qualifying. FP3 offered another clear example of its value through Lewis Hamilton’s final run behind Lando Norris, and the teams will need to calculate track position carefully when Q1, Q2 and especially Q3 reach their decisive moments.
At Monza, a well-timed slipstream can provide a meaningful benefit on the circuit’s long straights, while poor positioning can compromise a flying lap. Ferrari will therefore need to combine the underlying performance of the SF-26 with precise execution if it wants to maximise its chances.
Based on FP3, pole position looks complicated with George Russell and Mercedes setting the benchmark. A front-row start, however, remains within Ferrari’s reach. Lewis Hamilton’s second place provided the strongest indication of that potential, while Charles Leclerc will look to recover the form that had made him immediately competitive earlier in the weekend when qualifying begins at 16:00 CET.
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