Slower than Hungary? Why F1 drivers think Italian GP will be 'weird'

Formula 1 drivers have talked about being braced for a “weird”, “confusing” and “not fantastic” experience in driving Monza for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

The energy-starved 2026 F1 cars are going to face their most extreme challenge so far, and it is going to throw up some quirks that may be a step beyond what has been witnessed at other venues.

From the outside, some of the unusual elements may not be so obvious, but drivers have already offered us some insight about what they expect.

Top speeds slower than Hungary?

When Formula 1’s 2026 regulations were first tried out on simulators, Monza proved to be one of the most troublesome tracks on the calendar.

Based on initial analysis, fears were widespread of cars blasting out of the corners and then speeds falling away as the battery power ran out. The drop-off was such that drivers were even having to change down gears halfway down the straights.

The tweaks that have been made to energy management – in reducing recharge limits and capping deployment – have meant the speed profile down the straights are different now.

It means that the car will not actually be suffering a 30-40km/h speed drop-off from the typical 350-360km/h peaks we have seen in the past. 

Instead, they will flatline to never get near the old highs.

As Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad said: “There's just not much battery. We don't actually go slower on the straights. We just don't use any.”

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri said that one of the bizarre consequences of the energy starvation was that top speeds would likely be lower at Monza than at a track like the Hungaroring.

“I think in our sim running we were actually quicker on the front straight in Hungary than we were here,” he said. “It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's more that we just don't have the energy to spend.”

Sim running suggests drivers may not need to change down gears halfway down the main straight into the first chicane, but they may need to slip into seventh on the uphill entry to Ascari.

It won’t be a super-clipping fest

One of the fears ahead of the Monza weekend was that, because it was so energy starved, there could be a desperate need to super clip everywhere.

This would have meant further reducing the challenge of spectacular corners like the Lesmos and the Ascari chicane.

But the 5MJ harvesting limit that the FIA put in place for this weekend means that super clipping is not going to be called upon much, as opportunities to recover energy are so limited.

As Piastri said: “If the harvest limit was higher, we would be super clipping everywhere, probably losing 30 or 40 km/h at the end of each straight, but with the [5MJ] harvest limit, the super clipping is a normalish amount, or a reasonable amount.”

Being smart won’t help

F1 drivers have learned quickly in 2026 the various clever ways to be quick at energy starved tracks with these current cars.

Being slower through some corners to help harvest more energy can deliver benefits if it delivers more energy on subsequent straights.

This is something that reached extremes at Spa-Francorchamps, as some found that lifting off in previously super-fast corners like Pouhon was actually the best way to go, or not accelerating with maximum power coming out of some corners was beneficial.

Some drivers think that the layout of Monza does not offer the opportunity for such a smart approach, as the chances to recover energy are much less.

As Lando Norris said: “I think the difference to Spa was that you had two big straights but you had lots of corners in-between that you could charge up and then deploy everything.

“Unfortunately here you have two long straights back-to-back, but even between them there's not really any corners. So, there's just no energy, there's just no power. You don't have an ability to charge, so it's just slow.”

Cool-down laps could be super slow

The key to a good lap around Monza is going to be about maximising the state of charge of the battery.

This matters not only for laps that count in qualifying but also for preparations before the timing gets underway.

With F1 setting a recharge limit of 9MJ for out-laps, plus a need for drivers to get their tyres up to the right operating temperature, there should be every reason to push on rather than go super slow.

However, cool-down laps are capped at the standard 5MJ. So, if a driver is on a strategy of push-cool-push in qualifying, then the likelihood is they may need to go super slow to risk not over-charging early on and hitting the ceiling.

This may not be fun, reckons Lindland.

“I think the out-laps will be slow, but I don't think they'll be stupid,” he said.

“I think what won't be enjoyable is going to be cooldown laps, because the rules are different between out-laps and cool laps. So, in cool laps you'll be going very slow to try to charge the battery.”

Starting laps could be a challenge

One of the key aspects that teams and drivers are going to need to get on top of is how best to manage the battery for the start of the lap.

Deploy too much for a top speed boost out of Parabolica and it could mean you have burned too much energy, so you are left short on the run to the final corner.

Earlier in the year, drivers had to work out where best to accelerate before the timing line to start their laps in the best place possible.

This was not ideal as it meant there was a certain level of unpredictability about what everyone was up to.

As part of the package of in-season tweaks pushed through for Miami in May, this was automated to allow teams to execute this through programming of what’s become known as ‘auto-K’ where teams decide when the battery kicks in.

The exit of Parabolica is an area where this will take place, so means drivers will exit flat on the throttle – but the battery will only deploy in an area that is predetermined.

Lindblad is one who thinks this could pose some risks in qualifying if there is a major speed offset between cars on quick laps and those who are about to start.

“We saw it a bit in Zandvoort, but it was okay because of the banking,” he said.

“There was a 50-60 km/h speed delta, so you could get out of the way and let the guys through.

“Here it's even more - and it could become a bit dangerous. So, starting the lap won't be easy, to have it full, have the tyres ready.

“But even just from traffic, from safety, it's not great. We need a better battery.”