Mercedes continues to display one of the W17’s clearest strengths at Monza: exceptional straight-line efficiency. The Brackley car probably remains the benchmark on the straights even without using the so-called “Macarena” wing, but the Italian Grand Prix has also highlighted another potentially decisive factor. A well-executed slipstream can be worth as much as four tenths of a second, meaning Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren still have a powerful tactical weapon in the fight for pole position.
That makes the qualifying battle particularly intriguing. Mercedes appears to have a structural advantage in terms of efficiency, but the enormous value of a tow around Monza means outright straight-line speed alone may not determine the final order. With the leading teams separated by very small margins, positioning the cars correctly on track could become almost as important as the underlying performance of the machinery.
Mercedes W17 remains the Monza straight-line benchmark
Mercedes has continued to demonstrate impressive efficiency on the straights at Monza, even without the “Macarena” wing. The aerodynamic solution is estimated to be worth the equivalent of around 5 kW and is available to Ferrari, Red Bull and now McLaren, yet the W17 still appears capable of maintaining a significant advantage in the conditions that define the Italian circuit.
That is an important indication because it suggests Mercedes’ speed is not dependent on one specific device. Instead, the performance comes from the overall efficiency of the package. The Power Unit, energy management and, above all, an aerodynamically efficient configuration allow the W17 to remain extremely competitive on Monza’s long straights.
The same combination of Power Unit performance and energy deployment is also central to Ferrari’s approach at its home race, where the Scuderia has placed significant emphasis on SF-26 Power Unit efficiency at Monza. At a circuit where cars spend so much of the lap accelerating at high speed, even relatively small differences in drag and deployment can have a major effect.
Mercedes’ advantage, however, does not mean George Russell and Kimi Antonelli can approach qualifying without considering the slipstream. At Monza, even the most efficient car on the grid can lose a significant amount of time if its rivals manage to organise a better tow on their decisive laps.
Kimi Antonelli tow gives George Russell around four tenths in FP3
FP3 provided a particularly clear example of just how valuable the slipstream can be. Kimi Antonelli gave George Russell a tow, with the resulting benefit estimated at approximately four tenths of a second over the lap. On a circuit with straights as long as Monza’s, that is an enormous gain and demonstrates how much track positioning can influence the final lap time.
The exact advantage varies depending on the quality of the tow and the distance to the car ahead. In broad terms, the benefit can range from around two tenths to as much as four tenths. That margin becomes especially important when Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren are operating so close to one another in outright performance.
As a result, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will effectively be forced to consider the slipstream during the decisive phase of qualifying. Mercedes may possess the most efficient car on the straights, but voluntarily giving away several tenths while rival drivers gain time from a tow would still leave the team exposed in the battle for pole.
Ferrari and McLaren can use both cars strategically
Ferrari and McLaren have another important tactical option because both teams can coordinate their two cars. If required, they can alternate which driver provides the tow and which driver benefits from it during the final qualifying attempts. That creates the possibility of extracting extra lap time without fundamentally changing the aerodynamic set-up of the car.
For Ferrari, that tactical dimension complements the wider work aimed at maximising efficiency at Monza. The team has already focused on reducing drag and improving SF-26 efficiency, while its latest Power Unit development has also placed considerable emphasis on extracting performance more effectively rather than relying solely on headline horsepower figures.
The Scuderia’s ADUO-2 programme has consequently attracted particular attention at the Italian Grand Prix, including changes connected with Ferrari’s turbocharger and compressor efficiency. Against a Mercedes that already appears extremely strong in a straight line, every available gain becomes valuable.
Max Verstappen needs Liam Lawson in Q3 for the same tactical option
Max Verstappen could theoretically benefit from the same approach with Liam Lawson. There is, however, one fundamental condition: the second Red Bull must reach Q3. Without Liam Lawson present during the final qualifying phase, Max Verstappen could find himself tactically more isolated than his main rivals.
That would leave Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes with greater freedom to organise their runs using both cars, while the Red Bull driver would have fewer options when trying to find the ideal position on track. At Monza, that can be particularly costly because a poor gap to the car ahead can remove one of the largest lap-time gains available without changing the car itself.
Why the Monza slipstream could decide pole position
Mercedes therefore enters the decisive qualifying phase with a structural advantage thanks to the W17’s efficiency and straight-line speed, despite not having the “Macarena” wing. Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren can nevertheless recover part of that margin through their own aerodynamic solutions and, above all, by exploiting the slipstream correctly.
The importance of efficiency is particularly pronounced at Monza, where teams run highly specialised low-drag configurations. Ferrari has also been working extensively on the balance between drag reduction and performance, an area covered throughout our Ferrari technical analysis of the SF-26.
Two, three or even four tenths of a second can effectively be created before the cars have even reached the first chicane. George Russell’s FP3 run already demonstrated how substantial that gain can be. In a qualifying session where the leading teams are closely matched, such a margin could completely change the order.
That is why pole position at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix may not simply provide a snapshot of which car has the greatest outright speed. The final result could instead come down to the best combination of aerodynamic efficiency, Power Unit performance, energy deployment and slipstream strategy. At Monza, even Mercedes’ formidable straight-line speed may not be enough if one of its rivals executes that combination more effectively.
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