Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari’s latest engine upgrade can strengthen its challenge at the Italian Grand Prix, although he admits the improvement will not completely solve the team’s straight-line speed deficit.
Ferrari will introduce the second and final permitted upgrade of its 2026 power unit at Monza, aiming to give Hamilton and Charles Leclerc a better chance of fighting for victory at the team’s home race.
The car has generally been among the strongest through corners this season, but Ferrari has repeatedly lost ground on the straights. Hamilton estimates the disadvantage was still costing the team around four-tenths of a second per lap at the previous race.
The seven-time world champion expects the revised engine to reduce that deficit and remains confident Ferrari has enough overall performance to compete for a win if the team executes the weekend cleanly.
Hamilton and Leclerc have each taken one victory this season. Hamilton arrives at Monza 59 points behind Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship.
Antonelli Penalty Opens Door for Ferrari
Ferrari’s prospects could also benefit from Antonelli starting near the rear of the grid after Mercedes exceeded his seasonal allocation of engine components.
Mercedes had been expecting the penalty after reliability problems earlier in the campaign forced the team to use additional power-unit parts. Monza was selected as the most suitable venue because the circuit offers plenty of overtaking opportunities and places a major emphasis on engine performance.
Hamilton nevertheless expects Antonelli to recover quickly because of Mercedes’ pace advantage over much of the midfield. Ferrari’s priority, he said, will therefore be extracting the maximum from its own package rather than relying on the championship leader remaining outside the points.
George Russell is also expected to require an engine-related grid penalty later in the season, with Azerbaijan considered the most likely race.
Antonelli believes starting from the back may remove some of the pressure surrounding his home event, although he would have preferred to fight for pole position. He expects Mercedes to be competitive but warned that Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull could all feature prominently.
Monza’s long straights will also create an unusual challenge for the hybrid power units. Drivers are expected to spend more of the lap without full battery assistance because there are fewer opportunities to recover electrical energy.
That could make slipstreaming particularly important throughout qualifying and the race, allowing cars to reduce aerodynamic drag and conserve energy while following rivals.
Hamilton Brings Ferrari History to Monza
Hamilton added another Ferrari touch to his home-race preparations by arriving at the circuit in a recently acquired Ferrari F40.
The iconic supercar had long been one of his dream cars, and Hamilton specifically searched for a highly original example with very low mileage.
He eventually found an F40 that had reportedly travelled only 69 kilometres after leaving Maranello before spending most of its life stored away.
The car also carries an unexpected connection to Hamilton: the number 44, matching his Formula 1 race number, is stamped on its engine.
Hamilton chose to drive the F40 to Monza as a tribute to Ferrari’s heritage and its deep connection with the Italian Grand Prix.
A victory this weekend would carry even greater significance. Hamilton has already won at Monza during his career, but taking his first Italian Grand Prix triumph as a Ferrari driver in front of the tifosi would mark a new milestone in his time with the team.