Italian GP 2026: Hamilton says Ferrari trails on straights
Lewis Hamilton reveals Ferrari loses 0.6 seconds to George Russell on straight-line speed during Friday practice at Monza.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- George Russell topped Friday practice times ahead of Charles Leclerc at Monza.
- Lewis Hamilton reported losing around 0.6 seconds on the straights to Russell.
- Championship leader Kimi Antonelli faces a grid penalty for using extra engine parts.
- F1 announced a three-day fan event in Milan scheduled for February 18-20.
The opening day of practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza got underway with Mercedes driver George Russell setting the pace, edging out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 0.120 seconds. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton finished the session in fifth place, 0.457 seconds off the pace, trailing both teammate Kimi Antonelli and McLaren's Lando Norris.
Speaking after the practice sessions, Hamilton highlighted a "considerable" straight-line speed deficit compared to Mercedes. He noted that he was losing roughly 0.6 seconds to Russell purely on the straight sections, an issue the team urgently needs to investigate and address.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
On the other side of the garage, Kimi Antonelli—who currently leads the drivers' world championship with a 59-point advantage over Hamilton and Russell—is set to start the main race from the back of the grid. The Italian youngster received a grid penalty for exceeding his permitted allocation of engine components.
Despite the penalty likely costing him a shot at victory at his home grand prix, Mercedes opted to take the engine change here, banking on Monza's long straights to provide ample overtaking opportunities for a recovery drive. Antonelli demonstrated strong pace during the race-simulation runs towards the end of the day.
"Just looking at the deltas there, I was losing something like 0.6secs to George on the straights, which is something we need to look into"
Lewis Hamilton
McLaren, coming off back-to-back victories with Lando Norris, anticipated a tougher weekend at Monza, and those expectations are materializing. Norris explained that the team is losing ground to Mercedes on the straights and surprisingly dropping lap time in the high-speed corners where they typically excel. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished ninth fastest, 0.818 seconds behind the pace.
Mercedes' tactical choice to serve Antonelli's engine penalty at Monza underscores the circuit's unique characteristics. The heavy reliance on slipstreaming and the presence of long straightaways offer a better statistical probability for a recovery drive from the back compared to tighter, twistier tracks where overtaking is exceptionally difficult.
Away from the immediate on-track action, Formula 1 announced plans to host a three-day fan festival in Milan from February 18-20 ahead of next season. The event will bring together all 11 teams and their drivers, featuring live music and entertainment for supporters.
Source: BBC Sport
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