Formula 1 heads to Monza for a highly anticipated Italian Grand Prix: in front of the tifosi, Ferrari will introduce a significant evolution of its power unit, called ADUO 2.
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The Scuderia approaches its home event with particular pressure in the hope of reducing its power deficit and getting closer to Mercedes and McLaren.
The Ferraris have often been competitive this summer without always realizing their potential, notably due to hesitant strategies between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the two men separated by 28 points in favor of the Briton in the title race: the time for choices and team orders has probably come.
Mercedes struggling?
The new Ferrari engine represents one of the main technical novelties of the weekend and could play an important role on a circuit where power and aerodynamic efficiency are crucial.
Ferrari wants to close the gap with Mercedes. The German team remains a benchmark thanks to the combination of its chassis and power unit, even if championship leader Kimi Antonelli will have to deal with a penalty related to an engine change.
Mercedes is also preparing a new technical offensive, but its next major package for the W17 is only expected in Malaysia in three weeks.
McLaren full of confidence
McLaren is now one of the main threats to Mercedes. Lando Norris comes off a convincing win at Zandvoort and seems to have perfectly assimilated the latest developments of the MCL40. Team principal Andrea Stella also highlights the constant progress made by his driver, who currently seems to be exploiting the full potential of the car.
The situation appears more complicated for Oscar Piastri. The Australian is having more difficulty adapting to the behavior of the latest McLaren evolution, especially in terms of grip and steering feel.
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Monza will therefore determine if the superiority shown by Norris in the Netherlands can continue on a circuit with radically different characteristics.
Red Bull under pressure
Red Bull Racing arrives in Italy with more uncertainties. The Zandvoort weekend ended prematurely for Max Verstappen after his accident on the first lap, but difficulties were already noticeable before, while it is still unknown if Isack Hadjar will recover from his wrist injury.
The RB22 had not really been able to fight for pole position in the Netherlands and continues to suffer from a narrow operating window. Finding the right setup and restoring enough confidence to its drivers remains a major challenge.
Behind the front teams, the battle also promises to be particularly tight. Racing Bulls has established itself as one of the pleasant surprises of the midfield and could take advantage of its home Grand Prix to continue its series of solid performances.
A highly contested hierarchy
Recently, Alpine has struggled to achieve the expected results with its latest developments and has still not clearly managed to take the upper hand over the midfield.
Aston Martin is awaiting further progress from Honda, while Audi and Racing Bulls regularly remain able to mix in the fight for points by battling Alpine for the best place in the constructors’ championship behind the four top teams.
All eyes will nevertheless be on Ferrari at Monza. In the Temple of Speed, the arrival of the ADUO 2 will be a major test: if the new engine delivers the expected gains, the Scuderia could have an additional weapon to challenge Mercedes and a McLaren team currently on the rise.