By: The annual visit to Monza, the Temple of Speed, has always been a special weekend for Scuderia Ferrari. The Maranello team has often delivered results beyond expectations in front of its home fans. One need only think of the Berger-Alboreto one-two in 1988, just days after the death of the ‘Grande Vecchio’. With the arrival of Michael Schumacher, whom Ferrari will honour at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, the Brianza speedway became the scene of repeated victories and one-twos (five with Michael and two with Barrichello). Turning to the present, Ferrari has every chance of performing strongly on home ground, also thanks to the likely introduction of the new power unit homologated through the ADUO.
The significance of Monza
Predicting the level of competitiveness of the red car, however, is becoming an increasingly difficult exercise. The rounds in Hungary and the Netherlands were disappointing, made even more bitter by the clear sense that the available potential had not been maximised. Monza now represents a crossroads in Ferrari’s championship campaign. Unlike in previous seasons, the SF-26 is not a technical project already heading down a dead end, seeking a fleeting home success, as has too often been the case in recent years. Far more than a race win is at stake at Monza. The Maranello team must execute a perfect weekend. That requires crystal-clear rules of engagement between the drivers and, consequently, the need to make immediate, even unpopular, decisions if necessary. Despite the car’s strengths, there is no technical advantage that allows room for delay in decision-making. In short, a ruthless approach is required, regardless of the ambitions of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc and the respective media backing of the Modena team’s two standard-bearers. The Monegasque driver is one of the finest exponents of the Monza circuit, the only track at which he has won more than once (2019, 2024). The seven-time world champion is in outstanding form, at a level not seen since 2021. For both, the next round of the world championship could become something of a reckoning after the frictions of recent races, an entirely foreseeable scenario that the team must manage decisively. Frederic Vasseur’s men have produced an excellent project and are developing it superbly, but they must now show that they can match the very best when it comes to decisions that will inevitably cause discontent. McLaren did so last year and Mercedes is doing so this season, against all expectations, by properly supporting Kimi Antonelli.
