IT’S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix

The second half of the season is well and truly underway and the final two European rounds take place over a double-header that kicks off in Italy. With McLaren resurgent but plenty for the home fans to get excited about, there are sure to be a number of talking points when the paddock arrives in Monza.

Antonelli set for a home race penalty

Given the support Ferrari always receive at Monza, the Italian fans could find themselves slightly torn this weekend, as Kimi Antonelli arrives at his home race as the championship leader.

Rewind 12 months and it would have been a surprising prediction to suggest Antonelli would be 59 points clear in the standings in just his second season in Formula 1, even with the expectation that Mercedes would deliver a championship-contending car.

Yet as the Silver Arrows continue to prioritise the best approach to the season as a whole – rather than any individual race – Antonelli will face a tall order to secure victory in his home Grand Prix due to a planned power unit penalty.

Reliability issues mean Mercedes believe they won’t make it to the end of the season without taking a penalty with each car at some stage, and they also have the potential to upgrade the power unit through the FIA’s Advanced Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) mechanism.

Whether it is a new specification that is introduced at Monza or not, the team have confirmed Antonelli will take a full new power unit and start towards the back of the grid.

“With Kimi, we're taking the full thing,” Toto Wolff said in Zandvoort. “Our calculations say that that's the best track to take it. Obviously, algorithms don't take their nationality into consideration. We're here to fight for a championship and not get the most PR.”

Red Bull’s driver situation

The summer shutdown ended with an unexpected driver line-up change – albeit only a temporary one – at Red Bull, after Isack Hadjar injured his wrist ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, ruling him out of the race weekend at Zandvoort.

Liam Lawson was promoted in his place, and impressed despite the lack of practice mileage on offer during the Sprint weekend. By Saturday’s Qualifying session, Lawson was able to get close to Max Verstappen and secured a spot alongside his team mate on the fourth row, before a solid run to seventh place behind the McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari cars.

With Lawson at Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda returned at Racing Bulls and also had a strong weekend, just missing out on points. So both proved to be strong replacements while Hadjar recovers.

It has not yet been confirmed if Hadjar will be fit to return this weekend at Monza, but if not then it is expected that Red Bull will stick with the Zandvoort line-ups, giving both Lawson and Tsunoda another chance to impress. While it will be a race on a very different type of circuit, they would have three practice sessions to help them build on top of their previous weekend’s experience.

Stability in the driver market

In the build-up to the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, three driver contracts were confirmed that suggested there will be little movement across the grid in 2027.

First up was Alex Albon remaining with Williams, shortly followed by his team mate Carlos Sainz also committing his future to the team and ensuring an unchanged driver line-up for James Vowles to work with next year.

Then came the big news of Max Verstappen extending his Red Bull stay until at least the end of 2030, as the Dutchman reaffirmed his intention to complete his whole career with the team.

Since leaving the Netherlands, there has been further confirmation of a driver retaining their seat, as Franco Colapinto’s strong season has been rewarded with another year at Alpine alongside Pierre Gasly.

As it stands, there have only been extensions and renewals confirmed – with Lando Norris and McLaren also committing long-term to each other – as the driver market has stabilised this year. Aston Martin are a team of interest as Fernando Alonso has yet to announce his plans for 2027, while there could potentially be movement at Haas and Racing Bulls.

Ollie Bearman is expected to continue with Haas, and Esteban Ocon’s recent form shows he is doing everything he can to remain alongside him, but both seats are currently still available.

Although unconfirmed at this stage, it would be a major surprise if Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad don’t keep their seats at Red Bull and Racing Bulls respectively, while Lawson’s substitute appearance keeps him in the mix for another season despite the emergence of Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov.

The Tifosi

Sure, Kimi Antonelli is leading the Drivers’ Championship, but you can still expect to see a sea of red at Monza as the Tifosi come out in force.

Although McLaren have won the past two races, Ferrari have been Mercedes’ closest challenger on average this season, with Lewis Hamilton sitting joint-second in the standings, 59 points adrift of Antonelli.

The expected penalty for Antonelli should only serve to increase Ferrari’s chances of fighting for victory at their home race, as they look to make inroads into Mercedes’ 87-point lead in the Constructors’ Championship.

Racing at Monza in front of such a passionate fanbase is always a sight to behold during the year, and if one of Hamilton or Charles Leclerc can deliver a win then the atmosphere underneath the iconic podium will be something particularly special.

Celebrating a legend

Aside from Ferrari’s own hopes of victory, they will be paying tribute to one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1 history this coming weekend.

Michael Schumacher won five of his seven drivers’ titles with Ferrari from 2000-2005, but 2026 marks 30 years since the legendary German joined the team, and 20 years since his final victory for the Scuderia – achieved at Monza as he announced his first retirement from the sport.

It took five years to taste championship success, but there were still three race wins in his first season in red back in 1996 – including at Monza – as Schumacher secured a victory in each of his 11 seasons with Ferrari.

The team have revealed special race suits that will be worn by Hamilton and Leclerc that feature Schumacher’s logo and the seven stars he used to carry on his helmet design to signify his seven world titles. Ferrari say this week’s tributes are inspired by Schumacher’s “impact on the racing world” and “his enduring mindset”.