Kimi Antonelli has been impressed by the progress Ferrari has made with its new Power Unit at Monza, saying the SF-26’s speed is now very similar to Mercedes after the latest ADUO 2 developments. The Formula 1 championship leader believes the Scuderia has taken a significant step forward, adding another intriguing element to what he expects to be a very close battle for pole position at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari introduced its updated engine specification at Monza, featuring developments made possible through ADUO 2, with work believed to have included changes to the combustion process. The package forms part of a broader Ferrari ADUO 2 development programme aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the Power Unit at one of the most demanding circuits of the season.
Kimi Antonelli prepares for a very different Monza weekend
Wearing a tricolour helmet and backed by the cheers of the Italian crowd, Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed his first day of running at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza as the leader of the Formula 1 World Championship. It is an ideal setting for the Bologna-born driver, although his weekend comes with a significant complication.
Kimi Antonelli will start Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid after taking a new Power Unit and receiving the resulting penalty. Monza, however, offers opportunities to recover positions, particularly with the performance available from the Mercedes W17 and Antonelli’s ability throughout the season to exploit the car’s potential.
That situation completely changed his priorities during Friday practice. Rather than chasing outright lap time or attempting to perfect his single-lap performance ahead of qualifying, Kimi Antonelli concentrated heavily on the race. His programme focused on long runs with the hard and medium compounds as Mercedes prepared for the recovery drive he will need to execute on Sunday.
The championship leader’s wider 2026 campaign can also be followed through Kimi Antonelli coverage on GP-News.
“It’s fantastic to be here and the support I’ve received has been incredible,” Kimi Antonelli said. “Today was a different day compared to our usual Fridays because I focused mainly on the long runs. It was a little strange, I’m not going to lie. But it was a good day, we collected a lot of data and now I’m looking forward to getting back on track.”
Antonelli studies Ferrari and rivals during Monza long runs
Antonelli’s race-stint work was useful for more than simply understanding tyre behaviour and preparing the Mercedes for Sunday. The Italian also used the opportunity to analyse how rival cars were managing their electrical energy around Monza.
Energy deployment is particularly important when planning an aggressive recovery race, and Antonelli paid close attention to the cars he encountered ahead of him during the long runs. He studied where rivals were deploying their available energy and how their strategies differed from Mercedes.
That subject has also been a major focus for Ferrari at Monza. The Maranello team has developed new hybrid mappings designed to maximise the ADUO 2 upgrade, with harvesting and deployment becoming particularly important around the circuit’s long full-throttle sections.
“Monza is a track where you can do a lot of different things,” Kimi Antonelli explained. “During today’s long runs I watched what the cars in front of me were doing, how they used the energy deployment, where they used it and what they were doing differently compared to us, and it was interesting. That’s why we collected so much data.”
Antonelli impressed by Ferrari’s new Monza engine
The most significant observation from Kimi Antonelli concerned Ferrari’s progress on the Power Unit side. The Scuderia introduced its updated specification at Monza with developments made possible by the ADUO 2 concessions, and the improvement appears to have caught the Mercedes driver’s attention.
The changes are particularly significant because Ferrari has spent much of the build-up to the Italian Grand Prix trying to reduce its engine-performance deficit. The latest specification is intended to improve more than simply peak power, with the complete Ferrari SF-26 Power Unit package centred on extracting greater overall performance and efficiency.
According to Antonelli, the difference in speed between Mercedes and Ferrari has now effectively disappeared. Combined with the SF-26’s known strength through the corners, that improvement has convinced him that Ferrari should be considered a serious threat in qualifying.
“Ferrari has definitely made a big step forward with the new engine they brought here,” Kimi Antonelli said. “Now the speed is very similar to ours and we know how fast they are in the corners. It’s going to be a tight fight for pole tomorrow.”
Ferrari’s Monza progress becomes clear on track
Antonelli’s comments reinforce the encouraging indications Ferrari gathered during Friday practice. Track analysis from FP2 also suggested that Ferrari had significantly reduced its Power Unit gap to Mercedes, even though differences remained in the way the hybrid systems were being used around the lap.
For the Scuderia, the significance of the ADUO 2 development therefore extends beyond a simple headline horsepower figure. At Monza, straight-line speed, hybrid deployment and the ability to maintain performance throughout the longest acceleration phases all contribute to the competitive picture.
Kimi Antonelli’s assessment provides an important reference because it comes from the driver of the Mercedes W17 who spent much of Friday deliberately observing rival energy-management strategies. His conclusion is clear: Ferrari has taken a noticeable step with its latest engine, and the speed advantage Mercedes previously held has become much smaller.
That leaves qualifying finely poised. Antonelli’s grid penalty means his own weekend is centred primarily on preparing for Sunday’s recovery drive, but he nevertheless expects Ferrari and Mercedes to be closely matched when the fight for pole begins. After Friday’s running, the Scuderia appears to have given its home crowd another reason to believe it can be a serious factor at Monza.
