Ferrari Must Win at Monza or Watch Its Title Shot Slip Away

September 1, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

F1/Scuderia Ferrari

Ferrari arrives at Monza with a home crowd, a new engine and the same problem that has followed the team all year: the SF-26 has been fast enough to win, but it has not won enough.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc each have one victory for the Scuderia — one in Spain and one at Silverstone. That is the entire return on a car that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur keeps describing as close to Mercedes on raw pace.

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As the Scuderia returns for its home race and the passionate Tifosi are there to support them, where do they stand, and how big a race is the 2026 Italian Grand Prix?

Also Read:5 Storylines to Watch at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix

Ferrari’s 2026 Reality: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

May 22, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (44) during the sprint race qualifying session before the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Despite Vasseur’s assertion, Ferrari has lost momentum over the past two race weekends, making the gap to Mercedes look worse, not better. Hungary was supposed to be perfect for Ferrari, but neither Hamilton nor Leclerc reached the podium. Zandvoort was another fourth and fifth, even after Vasseur said the race pace was there. The team principal put it plainly:

“But if you want to be the champion, you can’t leave points on the table,” Vasseur said. “We have to score the maximum number of points that we can.”

A livery fit for home 🏡 Our Monza livery is here, inspired by the lasting impact of Michael Schumacher on our team ❤️ pic.twitter.com/MWGlJi4miv
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 1, 2026

Ferrari has left plenty of points on the table and trails Mercedes in the constructors’ standings (425 to 338) by 87 points. McLaren is third at 263 points and closing fast after Lando Norris won in Hungary and Zandvoort, further putting pressure on Ferrari. That is 75 points between second and third with 11 races still to go after Sunday. One more Norris win at Monza does not flip the order on its own, but a quiet Ferrari weekend at their home circuit would make that chase real and uncomfortable.

Hamilton and Leclerc Still Searching for Consistency

Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (left) of Team Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (center) of Team Monaco and Atlassian Williams driver Carlos Sainz (right) of Team Spain walks on the track to ride in the driver’s parade before the start of the 2025 US Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas Austin. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As we enter the weekend, Lewis Hamilton is tied with George Russell for second in the drivers’ standings on 183 points — 59 behind Kimi Antonelli. His teammate Charles Leclerc is fifth with 155. The opening is sitting right in front of them with Antonelli taking a full power-unit change this weekend and starting from the back of the grid at his home race. If Ferrari cannot cash that in at Monza, with the Tifosi packed into the grandstands, the excuse file will officially be empty.

Maranello‘s response to its drivers’ inability to break through is to throw hardware at the problem. The second ADUO engine upgrade is coming online at Monza, with a revised combustion chamber and turbo. The reported internal number represents an increase of about 15 horsepower, or roughly two-tenths of a lap at Monza. There is also a lower-drag rear wing package aimed at the circuit affectionately known as the Temple of Speed. That is the right circuit for this engine step, but it is also the type of circuit that has exposed Ferrari’s straight-line deficit all season. Hamilton left Zandvoort talking about four-tenths lost on the straight. Half of that back is progress, but it is not a guarantee.

Ferrari’s Problem Is Not Just Internal; Competition is Getting Better

May 22, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; McLaren driver Lando Norris (1) during practice session before the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Despite the slew of upgrades and progress Ferrari has made over the course of the 2026 season, there are bigger problems external to the team that they must worry about. Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli have been the runaway story of the season thus far, and now, last year’s world champion Norris and McLaren are pushing hard behind them. Ferrari has the home race and one more chance to turn pace into a Sunday that actually moves the championship. A podium is not necessarily the standard this weekend. But a Ferrari win, or at least a result that puts both cars ahead of Norris, is.

Mercedes is not going away, and McLaren is no longer the midfield problem they once were. Norris has won two in a row and the papaya car is close enough that another Ferrari stumble would put second place in play. The circuits ahead on the F1 calendar will not do Ferrari any favors either. Plenty of them punish the same straight-line and energy gaps that have already cost Hamilton and Leclerc.

If the Scuderia leaves Monza still watching Mercedes up the road and McLaren in its mirrors, the title fight starts to turn into damage control. The car has been good enough. This weekend is where that has to show up in the results.