F1 LIVE: Italian Grand Prix 2026 start time, grid, commentary & updates from Monza

Hamilton needs 'luck and Leclerc' to win title

Lorraine McKenna

BBC Sport Journalist at Monza

Anton and Tim are stood at the packed food court with England shirts on with 'Hamilton 44 Still I Rise' written on the back. English? "We’re from the Netherlands," the two fans say. So... not Max Verstappen fans?! "Nooooo! And we never have been," jokes Tim.

As she can see from the shirts, the two are massive Hamilton supporters. With the seven-time world champion 59 points behind Kimi Antonelli in the title fight, can he claim that elusive eighth title this season? "For sure, he can do it," says Anton.

"Maybe with a little bit of luck - but he needs Charles Leclerc," adds Tim.

So, is this the point in the campaign where Leclerc has to become the number two driver to Hamilton? "Yes, for sure," says Tim. "At least for this season."

Difficult to predict how race will unfold

Andrew Benson

BBC F1 correspondent at Monza

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella predicts a “very interesting race” at Monza this afternoon. “I’m actually not sure that it’s easy to think how it will unfold,” he says.

Alpine and Pierre Gasly did a perfect job to be on pole, while everyone else was compromised in one way or another, but on Friday they were only the fifth-fastest car on race pace behind Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull.

On top of that, energy management will make this a difficult race for the drivers to manage. The slipstream, so powerful in qualifying, will remain so in the race, potentially putting drivers in a difficult conundrum over whether to use the boost mode to pass a slower car, as this comes with a compromise in leaving a driver short on electrical power afterwards. “If you start to play with the boost and overtake cars,” Stella says, "you may get overtaken and you may start to lose overall the time in the race. But at the same time, if you're faster, you may want to pass."

Monza is a one-stop race. Degradation is expected to be low, and the tyres are very even in performance. George Russell, in second place on the grid in the fastest car, is the only driver with a new set of mediums. But both Ferrari and McLaren drivers and Max Verstappen all have a new set of softs. Use them off the start, or potentially in an aggressive final stint if the medium can run long enough to make the strategy medium-soft, rather than soft/medium-hard?

For what it’s worth, the strategy model provided by F1 has Russell winning from Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Gasly. But it is rarely correct. A pit stop takes about 24 seconds under green-flag conditions, 15 under a safety car.

Grand Slam paddock

Lorraine McKenna

BBC Sport Journalist at Monza

The hottest (quite literally, it’s baking once again in Monza) ticket in town is the pre-race paddock. There are people everywhere, including five-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner.

The Italian is not competing at the US Open this year, so as he’s as a big F1 fan, he’s travelled to his home race.

The scrum to get Sinner’s photograph is brutal (mine is of the back of his head) but then I spot Ferrari fan Julieta who is absolutely elated to have met him, with a member of her group also grabbing a photo. “It was amazing!! My grandfather made me a fan of his. Unbelievable!!” she says.

Julieta is hoping for a Scuderia victory today: “I really want Lewis Hamilton to win, I believe in that, but if Charles Leclerc wins, it would also be amazing.”

I’ve been asking Ferrari fans their feeling about Kimi Antonelli this weekend. The 20-year-old could end Italy’s 73-year wait for a home title, but if he does do it, it’ll be in Mercedes silver.

Julieta says a victory for Kimi today, although he is starting at the back of the grid, “would be important for Monza because he’s Italian”, and Ferrari “could maybe” offer their support to the 20-year-old if he succeeds this season.

“But I prefer Hamilton,” she adds.

Special delivery for Hamilton

Lorraine McKenna

BBC Sport Journalist at Monza

There's something very special waiting for Lewis Hamilton at Monza today.

French artist Constantin Vincent , externalhas created this portrait of the seven-time world champion using old karting tyres and acrylics, with fans' memories and favourite things about Hamilton also added.

"There is 'remember who you are mate', his trophies, his number 44, 'Hammertime', 'Still I Rise'," says the 24-year-old, who was a finance student before going full-time as an artist three years ago, and has also made portraits of tennis' Grand Slam champions Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

"It's really is a tribute to Hamilton and to all the community," he adds.

The artwork took 50 hours to produce, and Constantin has been on a mission with the help of the F1 fanbase to deliver the piece to the Ferrari driver this weekend.

"The F1 community are very engaged, and a lot of people asked me to do [a portrait] of Hamilton," he says. "So, I take time to create and learn about the driver, and it was a pleasure to discover this guy and discover his values."

From chess to battle for pole, Gasly has Russell covered at Monza

A quarter of an hour before the qualifying session which delivered the biggest surprise pole position in Formula 1 for years, Alpine's Pierre Gasly was playing online chess with Mercedes driver George Russell and winning.

"I must say before the quali, I felt pretty confident," the Frenchman said, "because I was picking piece by piece after piece."

Gasly's performance coach Ben Thorne was watching.

"For a fun story," Gasly said, "Ben told me, 'OK, well, you're getting George here, but he's going to get you in a few minutes.'"

Gasly said he reacted with a swear word but he was smiling as he recalled the moment.

"Turned out that it worked out well. So yeah, it's been fun," he added.

Read more on Gasly's reaction to his pole position here.

Antonelli 'disrupting rules of fandom' in Ferrari's Italy

Lorraine McKenna

BBC Sport Journalist at Monza

Kimi Antonelli has been hailed as a generational talent in Formula 1; the driver who can end the 73-year wait for an Italian world champion.

In March, Antonelli became the youngest-ever championship leader when he sealed victory in Japan at 19 years, seven months and four days.

And he has stayed there ever since.

This weekend, Antonelli arrives at the Italian Grand Prix with a 59-point advantage at the top of the standings after winning six races so far this year.

There is just one small issue: the young star drives for Mercedes, not Italy's beloved Ferrari.

"Ferrari is my heart," says Thomas, who is Monza born and bred, to BBC Sport at the circuit on Friday.

"It's a religion," says Emanuele, who is at the grand prix with his daughter, Matilde. "In Italy, we do support other teams and other sports, but there is only one Ferrari."

Ferrari is Formula 1 in Italy; natives joke that the position of Scuderia team principal is just as important as the identity of the Pope.

So, with fans flocking to worship at the Temple of Speed, just how do Italians feel about Antonelli battling Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for race wins and the drivers' championship?

Read more here.

Who will win at Monza?

Here's a poll for you at the top of the page.

Who do you think will take the chequered flag at the Italian Grand Prix? We have eight options for you.

Cast your votes and we will share the results before the race gets under way.

Does anyone think Kimi Antonelli can come from 19th to win the race? How about Lando Norris making it in three wins in a row from eighth? Can Pierre Gasly convert his stunning pole into victory

As always share your thoughts via the 'Get Involved' button.

Round 13: Italy

Jay Freeman

BBC Sport

Oh it's the end of summer alright. But that doesn't mean the temperatures will be anything other than scorching for today's Italian Grand Prix.

Pierre Gasly stunned the grid with a belter of a lap to take pole position for today's race - the first time a Frenchman has taken pole position at Monza since Jean Alesi achieved the feat in 1997.

But with championship leader Kimi Antonelli starting from the back of the grid due to an engine penalty, can George Russell put his foot to the floor from P2 and gain some ground on his Mercedes team-mate's lead?

And what of the rest of the pack? Ferrari certainly lost pace but could still be in the mix. Likewise McLaren and Max Verstappen will be knocking on the door.

Click here to read article