McLaren rules the corners, Ferrari dominates the straights seeking a less extreme SF-25 | F1 Monza data analysis. At Monza, McLaren excels through high-speed corners.

Monza battle: Ferrari seeks a more balanced SF-25 for the straights

At Monza, the minimal gaps promise a closer fight than usual. McLaren shines through the high-speed corners but struggles on the straights, while Ferrari shows the opposite behavior. The Scuderia is searching for a less extreme car balance and hopes that track evolution will help. Behind them are Williams and Max Verstappen, ready to insert themselves into the mix.

Ten drivers are separated by less than four-tenths, with the top six covered by just 199 thousandths of a second. When the standings are this tight, details make the difference, especially when pushing the car to the limit to extract the last hundredths. Friday at Monza sets the stage for a weekend full of insights and potential surprises.

McLaren remains at the front

Although the track isn’t ideal for the MCL39—a car that doesn’t rely on low-downforce efficiency—the Woking team still ended the day at the top, albeit without the usual margin seen at other circuits. This represents a more open challenge, with McLaren building time in the corners rather than excelling on the straights, where aerodynamic load comes into play.

Sector 2’s Lesmo curves clearly highlight this, where Lando Norris set the sector record, along with strong speed through Ascari and Parabolica, allowing him to carry more speed on entry and exit. Woking’s car features a deliberately less extreme rear wing setup, remaining within safe limits preferred by engineers. Last year, the team started with a low-downforce wing before shifting to a higher-load configuration to balance the car, a strategy mirrored this year: sacrificing straight-line speed to maximize corner exit efficiency. Beyond 300 km/h, the limitations become evident.

Ferrari exploits straight-line efficiency

Compared to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, aided by a slight tow, Norris loses around 6-7 km/h in top speed, slightly less when compared to Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc gained roughly four-tenths on the straights over the McLaren driver, confirming that Ferrari’s main weapon remains aerodynamic efficiency. Adjusting the rear wing by trimming the flap is part of this broader strategy.

Leclerc described the Monza-spec SF-25 as fast but complex to interpret and drive at the limit—a car extreme more for its on-track behavior than its wing configuration. With the dirty track conditions, even the two Ferrari drivers made some errors. The SF-25 showed strong speed potential but struggled to maintain consistency. Leclerc made several mistakes, particularly under braking, revealing that the setup isn’t yet optimal. Braking into the first chicane remained a weak point, costing over a tenth even compared directly with Hamilton.

Hamilton vs. Leclerc: contrasting approaches

The seven-time champion demonstrates a different approach, excelling in slower sections and the first sector, where he set the fastest time, but struggling in other parts of the lap. Conversely, Leclerc shines at Ascari and Parabolica, where front-end confidence is crucial to maintain speed and precision. After FP2, Hamilton explained that some setup choices hadn’t yielded the expected results, planning to revert to the FP1 configuration overnight. Ferrari, on the other hand, is clearly seeking a less “extreme” car: not in wing setup, but overall behavior, to give drivers a more stable, predictable SF-25.

Track evolution and tight competition

Ferrari hopes the progressive improvement of the track will offer greater stability in corners and reduce the speed gap. McLaren is aware of its strong race pace, but with such tight margins, finding extra tenths on a single lap is crucial for a front-row start, simplifying strategy and minimizing the risk of tire graining.

Red Bull: Max Verstappen ready to join the fight?

Because the field is so compact, surprises are possible. Williams knows Monza is a prime opportunity: long straights help cool the tires and reduce overheating, crucial for the Grove team. Apart from the Parabolica, the FW47 also performs well in corners and could challenge several teams.

Max Verstappen cannot be underestimated. The RB21, now equipped with a wing suited to Monza’s characteristics, could enter the fight for the top positions. Helmut Marko believes in victory, especially with a positive race pace. The Milton Keynes car still seems to have some horsepower in reserve.

The RB21 sits between McLaren and Ferrari in both straight-line speed and overall performance. While it doesn’t match Ferrari’s top-end straight-line pace from the aggressive setup, the Red Bull stays competitive in high-speed corners. On Friday, the RB21 performed better than on other circuits, thanks to FP1-FP2 work on bump management. Verstappen struggled to extract maximum grip from the soft tires, confirmed by the team. If engineers can fully exploit the extra adhesion from the softer compound, Red Bull could realistically challenge for victory.