Round 13 of the 2026 Formula 1 season roars into Monza from 4–6 September, with Ferrari’s home race arriving just as the title picture starts to harden and one of the sport’s brightest stars finds his rhythm.
Lando Norris comes to Italy as the man in form. The McLaren driver snatched his second consecutive victory in the first race back from the summer break, mastering a chaotic farewell to the Dutch Grand Prix and turning a volatile afternoon into another statement win. It was the performance of a driver who no longer looks like a nearly man, but a genuine force.
McLaren moved quickly to lock that in. Norris has signed a new deal that ties him to the team until the end of the 2030 season, a long-term commitment that underlines both his growing authority on the grid and the faith in the project being built around him. He arrives at Monza not just with momentum, but with his future nailed down.
Yet the championship lead belongs firmly elsewhere. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who joined Norris on the podium in Zandvoort, used that result to stretch his advantage in the drivers’ standings. The Italian prodigy now holds a 59-point cushion over team-mate George Russell, who finished third at the Dutch Grand Prix, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton also in the mix but chasing.
Antonelli’s growing control of the title race adds an extra charge to his home weekend. Monza will be draped in red for Ferrari, as always, but one of Italy’s own arrives in silver and turquoise at the head of the pack, trying to turn a commanding lead into something close to a stranglehold.
The stage, then, is set. Norris hunting a hat-trick of wins and justifying that long contract. Antonelli defending a hefty margin in front of his home fans. Russell and Hamilton needing to hit back before the gap becomes unmanageable.
Lights out for Sunday’s 53-lap Italian Grand Prix is at 14:00 BST.
The Temple of Speed will decide whose momentum survives the autumn.
