Ferrari produced a different performance profile at Monza on Friday, with the SF-26 showing particular strength through the slow chicanes and, crucially, a distinct energy deployment strategy compared with Mercedes. Charles Leclerc topped FP1 and finished second in FP2, while Lewis Hamilton completed the two sessions in second and fifth respectively, giving the Scuderia an encouraging platform ahead of qualifying.
The headline positions tell only part of the story. More revealing is how Ferrari constructed its lap time across the 5.793-kilometre Monza circuit. The SF-26 appeared particularly effective through the Prima Variante and Variante della Roggia, while its management of electrical energy allowed it to remain competitive deep into the lap, precisely where the Mercedes W17 appeared to follow a different deployment philosophy.
Ferrari SF-26 finds a Monza strength in the slow chicanes
The Maranello car displayed a clear characteristic during Friday practice: the two slow chicanes emerged as some of its strongest areas. Through the Prima Variante and Roggia, Ferrari showed a useful combination of turn-in ability, rapid changes of direction and traction on corner exit.
That matters enormously at Monza. Any time lost through the circuit’s slow corners can immediately become an additional disadvantage on the long straights that follow. A car that rotates efficiently and puts its power down cleanly can begin accelerating earlier, carrying that benefit for several hundred metres afterwards.
Friday’s behaviour therefore provided an encouraging indication that the SF-26’s Monza-specific package was working effectively. The absolute classification remains important, but the way the car generated its lap time offers a more detailed indication of where Ferrari may be competitive.
Ferrari and Mercedes build their Monza laps differently
The most interesting comparison comes against the Mercedes W17. The two cars appear to follow different strategies in the way they use their available electrical energy around the lap.
Mercedes tends to exploit more of its electrical deployment across the first three major straights, attempting to maximise performance in the opening sections. That approach allows the W17 to build speed immediately, but it can come with a price later in the lap as the amount of electrical energy still available begins to decrease.
Ferrari appears to follow almost the opposite philosophy. Rather than necessarily extracting the maximum electrical contribution on the opening straights, the SF-26 preserves a meaningful part of its available energy for the section between the exit of Ascari and the braking zone for the Parabolica.
The contrast is central to the different Ferrari and Mercedes energy deployment approaches at Monza. Similar strategies have already been observed at other high-speed circuits, but the effect becomes especially important at the Temple of Speed because of the enormous demands placed on the Power Unit over a lap.
Ferrari keeps energy in reserve for the end of the lap
The result of Ferrari’s approach is particularly interesting. The SF-26 can afford to concede something on the early straights without allowing that loss to become a permanent deficit. When the lap reaches its final phase, the Scuderia can recover ground precisely where the Mercedes W17 appears less effective.
The difference is therefore not simply a question of maximum speed. It is also about deciding where the available electrical energy can generate the greatest lap-time return. Saving deployment for a later section can be advantageous if that energy allows the car to continue accelerating strongly at a point where a rival has already consumed much of its electrical reserve.
That interpretation is supported by another comparison from Friday, where ADUO-2 telemetry showed stronger late-lap energy availability. Monza is therefore providing an especially useful test of both the new Power Unit and the way Ferrari chooses to deploy its resources around the lap.
Charles Leclerc finds the SF-26 window as Lewis Hamilton searches for more
This technical picture also helps explain the different Friday results of the two Ferrari drivers. Charles Leclerc immediately found a good feeling with the SF-26 and was competitive on both the Medium and Soft compounds.
Lewis Hamilton experienced a less straightforward day, particularly when trying to put together the ideal lap. His fifth place in FP2 does not necessarily represent Ferrari’s full potential, but it demonstrates how narrow the operating window is at Monza. Braking, rotation, traction, energy management and straight-line speed all have to come together within a single lap.
The British driver therefore still has room to improve by finding the right balance between those elements rather than simply searching for more outright performance from one part of the car.
Italian GP practice programme gives Ferrari a strong data base
Ferrari nevertheless completed a comprehensive programme across both Friday sessions. In FP1, both SF-26s began on the Hard compound before switching to the Medium after the red flag caused by Colton Herta’s stopped car.
On the Medium tyre, Charles Leclerc set a 1:23.008 to lead the session, with Lewis Hamilton second on a 1:23.181. Ferrari then moved into high-fuel running during the closing stages, with the Monegasque completing 29 laps and the British driver 26.
FP2 followed a different progression, beginning with the Medium before the drivers moved onto the Soft. Charles Leclerc lowered Ferrari’s reference to 1:22.679, enough for second place, while Lewis Hamilton recorded a 1:23.016 to finish fifth.
The programme again extended well beyond qualifying simulations. Both drivers used the Soft compound for their concluding long runs and completed 29 laps each. Across the full day, Ferrari accumulated 113 laps, providing a substantial amount of data for both qualifying preparation and Sunday’s race.
Updated Ferrari Power Unit adds another encouraging element
Another technical factor highlighted by Lewis Hamilton was the updated Power Unit. The seven-time world champion described the development as a step in the right direction and acknowledged the work completed by the engineers at Maranello.
Ferrari’s latest specification is intended to improve more than simply maximum output. The broader SF-26 Power Unit development focuses heavily on overall efficiency, particularly because electrical energy management has such an important influence on performance under the 2026 Formula 1 regulations.
At the same time, Lewis Hamilton’s Friday demonstrated that there is still work to do in putting together the perfect lap. His improvement potential appears to depend heavily on understanding the SF-26’s operating window and exploiting it consistently.
Charles Leclerc offered a more positive assessment of Friday. The Monegasque driver highlighted encouraging sensations behind the wheel, while also recognising the high level of competitiveness offered by Ferrari’s rivals. The Scuderia knows which areas require attention, with the overnight work focused on reducing the weaknesses identified during practice.
Ferrari’s wider Monza philosophy targets efficiency
The Power Unit strategy also sits within a broader technical approach adopted for the Italian Grand Prix. Ferrari has worked to reduce resistance and improve efficiency rather than relying on engine performance alone, with several SF-26 aerodynamic changes designed specifically for Monza.
The team has also modified the SF-26’s FTM configuration to reduce drag, reinforcing the same philosophy. The objective is to make the complete car more efficient so that both aerodynamic performance and available Power Unit energy can be converted into lap time more effectively.
Friday therefore does not establish a definitive competitive order, but it does provide a clear technical indication. Ferrari appears to have found a particularly effective way of distributing the SF-26’s resources around Monza. The car is strong in the chicanes where lap time has to be built mechanically, while preserving enough electrical energy to become particularly competitive during the final part of the circuit.
Mercedes may face the opposite situation, extracting more performance earlier in the lap but having less energy available towards the end. Whether that difference becomes decisive will only become clear once outright performance takes priority.
Qualifying will reveal whether Ferrari’s Monza philosophy works
FP3, scheduled for 12:30, will provide the first opportunity to verify Friday’s indications. Qualifying then begins at 16:00, when Ferrari’s particular energy strategy must translate into genuine single-lap performance.
That will be the moment when the SF-26 has to demonstrate whether its strengths through Monza’s technically sensitive sections can become a real weapon for the rest of the weekend. Ferrari has shown that it can build competitive lap time differently from Mercedes; qualifying will reveal whether that philosophy is enough when every tenth matters.
There is one further variable that cannot be ignored at Monza: the slipstream. With towing strategies capable of having a major influence on lap time around the high-speed Italian circuit, track position and timing could prove just as important as the underlying performance of the SF-26 when the battle for the front of the grid begins.
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