Quick Hits

• Ferrari are going all-in at home. A second power unit upgrade under the ADUO system is confirmed for Monza (PlanetF1, Motorsport.com) — and the SF-26 will wear a 1996-inspired livery to mark 30 years since Schumacher joined the Scuderia (F1Technical).
• Red Bull run it back. Hadjar's wrist injury rules him out again, so Lawson deputises for a second straight race with Tsunoda continuing at Racing Bulls (Autosport) — and Verstappen will sit out FP1 as part of a double change (PlanetF1).
• Antonelli takes a big penalty at his home race for new power unit components but promises "full attack" — while Mercedes hold their own ADUO upgrade back until October (Motorsport.com).
• Heat hazard declared. The FIA will force drivers to either wear cooling vests or run ballast at Monza, with temperatures soaring across Italy (Autosport).
• McLaren's 'H-Wing' makes its race debut — though Norris insists back-to-back wins and consecutive poles still aren't enough (F1Technical).

Technical & FIA

The engine war takes center stage at the Temple of Speed. Ferrari will introduce their second PU upgrade of the season at Monza, permitted under the new Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system, as they chase down their 2026 deficit on home soil (PlanetF1, Autosport). Mercedes, by contrast, are holding their single ADUO token in reserve — their updated unit arrives in October, not this weekend (Motorsport.com).

Honda, meanwhile, have admitted weakness in their upgrade after Alonso and Stroll aired concerns post-Zandvoort, but insist Monza remains a "key focus" of continued development (PlanetF1, PlanetF1).

On aero: McLaren's rotating rear wing — the 'H-Wing' — is confirmed for its race debut (PlanetF1), with F1.com explaining the naming. Vasseur takes rivals copying the striking SF-26's designs as a compliment, calling it "a good reward" for Maranello's innovation (Motorsport.com). Haas bring VF-26 updates to Monza and have ruled out pivoting to 2027 — though Bearman remains "sceptical," conceding the team is now only F1's 10th-best (Motorsport.com, Autosport).

Off the car, FIA president Ben Sulayem has waded into the stewards debate after drive-through penalties for Colapinto and Lindblad at Zandvoort, pushing back at claims the governing body is "against the British" (Motorsport.com). And Red Bull have confirmed Aston Martin's long-time engineer Tom McCullough as head of racing, replacing the McLaren-bound Gianpiero Lambiase from 2028 (Motorsport.com).

Driver News

The Red Bull merry-go-round spins on: Hadjar's summer-break wrist injury keeps him sidelined, with Lawson again promoted and Tsunoda extending his Racing Bulls stint (F1Technical). PlanetF1 even poses the question of whether Lawson is the big winner of Helmut Marko's Red Bull exit, having scored his first points as a Red Bull driver at Zandvoort (PlanetF1).

Wolff says Antonelli's 2026 progress has been one of the biggest surprises of his career — the teenager is "no longer a deer in the headlights" (Motorsport.com). Reigning world champion Norris has launched his own race team and young driver programme, set to climb Europe's single-seater ladder from 2027 (Motorsport.com).

Elsewhere: Sainz says there are hidden reasons behind his fresh Williams commitment (PlanetF1), Button has made an Alonso retirement prediction as a decision nears (PlanetF1), and Argentina's president Javier Milei is pushing for an F1 return — "We want to see Franco Colapinto" — though Buenos Aires talk remains premature (Motorsport.com). At Grove, Vowles has hailed the early impact of ex-McLaren COO Piers Thynne (F1Technical).

Qualifying & Grid

Antonelli's home weekend starts on the back foot: the Mercedes rookie takes a big penalty for new power unit components and says he has "nothing to lose" — vowing full attack through the field on Sunday (Motorsport.com).

Race Weekend Preview

Round 13 brings us to Monza, and the storylines are stacked (Motorsport.com). The FIA's heat hazard declaration means cooling vests or ballast for the drivers in scorching Italian conditions (r/formula1). Ferrari's Schumacher tribute — 1996-inspired livery, special team kit and three iconic cars from his Maranello career (F1Technical) — lands 31 years after... well, almost: it was on this very date in 2001 that Schumacher passed Prost's all-time record of 51 wins at Spa (Motorsport.com).

Can anyone stop McLaren? Norris, on back-to-back wins and consecutive poles, warns the team still needs to find more — no complacency at Woking (F1Technical), with Stella identifying two key areas of champion-level improvement (PlanetF1). PlanetF1's predictions desk dares to dream of an "Antonelli disaster, McLaren surprise" and even a "civil war" breaking out (PlanetF1). Sunday's podium trio will lift the strikingly named 'FRAGILE' trophy (r/formula1) — and here's an omen for the tifosi: Frentzen only just learned, 31 years on, how Berger's and Alesi's dual Monza '95 retirements gifted him his first podium (RaceFans).

One paddock note to monitor: Qatar insists it is "safe" and hopes to keep its F1 and MotoGP races amid Middle East uncertainty (Motorsport.com).

Forza Ferrari, Kimi's charge, and papaya under pressure — Monza rarely disappoints.