Frédéric Vasseur has admitted Ferrari’s difficult Monza weekend was even worse than the team had expected, with the SF-26’s straight-line weakness proving particularly costly at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc retired after just one lap, while Lewis Hamilton could manage only sixth place as Ferrari endured a disappointing home race in front of the Tifosi.
Much of the attention at Monza was understandably focused on Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who became the first Italian driver in 60 years to win his home Formula 1 Grand Prix, following the achievement of Ludovico Scarfiotti. However, there was another major Italian storyline that deserved just as much attention: Ferrari’s difficult afternoon at its home circuit.
Ferrari’s Monza weakness proves costly for the SF-26
Monza is Ferrari’s home track, but its unique configuration had always threatened to expose some of the SF-26’s weaknesses. That concern ultimately became reality. Charles Leclerc’s retirement after a single lap and Lewis Hamilton’s sixth-place finish provided the clearest possible picture of a difficult and complicated weekend, one that once again highlighted the limitations of a Ferrari capable of producing strong performances but not yet consistently fighting for something more significant than individual Grand Prix victories.
The demands of the Temple of Speed had prompted Ferrari to make specific changes to the car before the weekend, including modifications to the SF-26’s FTM configuration to reduce drag. Nevertheless, the team’s straight-line performance remained one of its biggest problems during the race.
“Today is a tough day for Ferrari,” Frédéric Vasseur admitted to Sky Sport F1 after the Italian Grand Prix. “Yesterday, in qualifying, things went well for us in terms of positions, but we knew we had a huge deficit in terms of top speed and that it would be difficult to defend and attack in the race. And that is how it turned out.”
“We struggle on the straights. We saw it with Charles Leclerc on the first lap and throughout the rest of the race with Lewis Hamilton, even though in the end our pace was good. That wasn’t a major problem. But we were losing positions and, when we had the opportunity, we couldn’t overtake. We knew Monza would be difficult for this reason, but it was worse than we expected. The battles during the race were very complicated.”
Vasseur points to Ferrari’s straight-line speed deficit at Monza
The problem with Ferrari’s top speed was evident from the opening stages. Charles Leclerc was overtaken by two cars within only a few kilometres, while Lewis Hamilton found himself unable to respond to the strength of the Mercedes-powered cars and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull-Ford on the straights.
The wider difficulties Ferrari experienced during the race are also reflected in our full 2026 Italian Grand Prix review, with the SF-26 repeatedly losing opportunities despite showing competitive pace in other areas of the circuit.
“If you’re behind at Zandvoort, you lose two and a half tenths per lap. At Monza, it’s five tenths. But beyond that, it’s also more about the cornering factor. When we were attacking or defending on the straights, we were losing power and then positions as well. With Pierre Gasly, for example, that is what happened. We overtook him and then he had the chance to pass us again. We had to push a little harder in the corners, but that meant using the tyres more than the others and we lost the opportunity to overtake.”
Vasseur to speak with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after opening battle
During the only lap in which both Ferraris remained in contention, another incident occurred at the Prima Variante that Ferrari’s senior management would rather not have seen. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton became involved in an extremely close fight, with the manoeuvre ultimately costing Lewis Hamilton at least four positions.
It was hardly the ideal way for the Ferrari drivers to fight in front of their home supporters or against their direct rivals. Charles Leclerc later addressed the opening-lap battle with Lewis Hamilton, while Frédéric Vasseur confirmed that Ferrari intends to discuss the incident internally.
“We’ll have to discuss it with both of them to clarify the situation. It’s a bit of a shame because we’ll have to discuss what happened. Starting a race with one of the two cars then finding itself in eighth position certainly isn’t ideal.”
Charles Leclerc unharmed after 50G Monza crash
Fortunately, Charles Leclerc escaped unharmed from the accident at the Parabolica on the first lap, while the checks carried out at the Medical Centre produced no concerning findings. The Monegasque subsequently returned home, although the scale of the impact was considerable.
Ferrari fans can also hear Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari team radio following the Monza crash, which brought an abrupt end to his home Grand Prix.
“Charles Leclerc told us he was fine, but he preferred to go home as soon as possible. It was a shock, a 50G impact. It’s understandable.”
Ferrari turns its attention to Madrid after Monza disappointment
Ferrari must now quickly move on from its difficult Italian Grand Prix. Frédéric Vasseur believes the characteristics of the upcoming circuits should provide a different challenge for the SF-26, beginning with Madrid.
“Tomorrow, in the debrief with the team, I’ll say that we have to keep pushing and continue developing the car and the engine. Without doubt, Madrid, Sepang and Baku will be a different story. We knew that Monza, because of its layout, would be the worst circuit for us and that is how it turned out. Next week we’ll have another challenge and Madrid will be a good opportunity. We have to continue taking it race by race.”
Madrid is the next stop on the revised 2026 Formula 1 calendar, giving Ferrari an immediate opportunity to understand whether the SF-26 can return to a more competitive operating window away from Monza’s extreme straight-line demands.
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