Ferrari has received encouraging news after Charles Leclerc’s violent Italian Grand Prix accident, with the SF-26 chassis and gearbox understood to have escaped serious damage. The main remaining concern is the power unit, although there is also optimism that the 067/6 engine fitted with the ADUO2 specification can be recovered ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, is fit and expected to race as normal. Despite the impact at around 234 km/h at the Parabolica, the Monegasque left Monza without suffering any subsequent problems and was able to drive back to Monte Carlo. Further medical checks also revealed no abnormalities, allowing Ferrari to turn its attention towards Madrid after one of its most difficult weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Ferrari’s Italian GP turns into a major setback
It was difficult to imagine the Italian Grand Prix going much worse for Ferrari. On the same day that Kimi Antonelli produced a spectacular victory for Mercedes, earning an enthusiastic show of respect and admiration from the Ferrari supporters, the Maranello team exposed its weaknesses in particularly painful fashion on home soil.
The problems began with the contact at the exit of the Prima Variante, where Charles Leclerc forced team-mate Lewis Hamilton into the gravel during their battle. Soon afterwards, Charles Leclerc suffered a frightening crash at the Parabolica, while the lack of outright pace from the SF-26 left seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton with only sixth place.
The combination produced Ferrari’s heaviest defeat of the season, with Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren all finishing ahead of the Scuderia. It was an especially damaging result given the expectations surrounding Ferrari at Monza following the team’s recent engine and floor developments for the Italian Grand Prix.
Speculation over Fred Vasseur’s position quickly followed, alongside suggestions that senior Ferrari figures are dissatisfied with the French team principal’s management. For the moment, however, it appears to be talk fuelled largely by the severity of the defeat in front of Ferrari’s own supporters, who had turned out in enormous numbers. Around 400,000 spectators attended the weekend at the Temple of Speed, setting a new record for the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
Charles Leclerc cleared after huge Monza impact
Ferrari at least has the advantage of being able to return to the track immediately, with the championship moving on to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix. The race will take place on the new circuit constructed around the exhibition centre area of the Spanish capital, where Ferrari has already had the opportunity to run both of its drivers during a filming day. The Madrid event is the next stop on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
The consequences of the Italian GP still need to be put behind the team, but the information emerging from Ferrari’s customary post-race debrief has at least been positive. Charles Leclerc is well and is expected to be in the car as normal in Spain.
The impact with the barriers at the exit of Curva Alboreto, the former Parabolica, at the end of lap two was extremely severe. The crash is understood to have occurred at more than 230 km/h, with a deceleration of around 50G. Charles Leclerc was consequently taken to the medical centre for the required examinations after reporting neck pain and slight difficulty with his vision.
However, Charles Leclerc subsequently left Monza without further discomfort. He was able to drive all the way back to Monte Carlo and underwent additional examinations afterwards, which revealed no abnormalities. Those follow-up checks were particularly relevant because the effects of such heavy accidents can sometimes become apparent only the following day. The Ferrari driver is therefore expected to compete in Madrid without restrictions. More coverage of the Monegasque can be found in the Charles Leclerc section.
Ferrari SF-26 chassis and gearbox survive as ADUO2 checks continue
There had been greater concern over the condition of Charles Leclerc’s number 16 SF-26, but Ferrari has also received positive indications on the mechanical side. Despite the severity of the accident, both the chassis and gearbox are intact.
The power unit remains under observation, with checks still being carried out on several components. Nevertheless, the current feeling is that Ferrari should also be able to save the 067/6 fitted with ADUO2, avoiding another complication before the Spanish Grand Prix. The latest engine specification had already been a major part of Ferrari’s Monza programme, with the SF-26 power unit development aimed at delivering benefits beyond a straightforward increase in peak horsepower.
Ferrari can therefore prepare for the trip to Spain with some relief when it comes to the physical condition of Charles Leclerc and the damage sustained by his car. That does not, however, erase the wider problems exposed at Monza.
Monza leaves Ferrari facing deeper execution questions
Lewis Hamilton’s harsh criticism of Ferrari’s handling of its drivers remains significant, as does the frustration that the team once again failed to extract the SF-26’s true potential because of poor execution. The Italian Grand Prix underlined that Ferrari’s difficulties cannot be reduced simply to the performance of the car.
Without returning to one of Fred Vasseur’s familiar themes, Ferrari continues to appear short of what might be described as a true racer within its trackside operation: someone capable of preventing the team from suffering such costly setbacks at decisive moments during a race weekend.
It does not take a scientist to recognise that this weakness is proving expensive over the course of the championship. With every missed opportunity carrying increasing weight in the 2026 title fight, the consequences can also be followed through the latest Formula 1 championship standings.
For now, however, no reinforcement of that kind is believed to be planned. Any additions currently expected are instead understood to concern Ferrari’s factory staff, leaving the existing trackside structure to respond immediately when Formula 1 arrives in Madrid.
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