Kimi Antonelli secured a famous Mercedes victory at the Italian Grand Prix as Ferrari’s highly anticipated home weekend unravelled into a systemic collapse.
The Scuderia entered Monza carrying intense local expectation, but a first-lap collision between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ruined their afternoon. Leclerc crashed heavily into the Parabolica barriers on lap two, while Hamilton recovered to finish a distant sixth.
Unlike their World Endurance Championship squad’s historic WEC Austin victory, the Formula 1 team lacked fundamental straight-line speed. Team Principal Fred Vasseur admitted the SF-26 was deeply compromised despite introducing an engine upgrade.
“Honestly, it’s not about deployment. Even McLaren, they were playing a little bit Friday and Saturday morning. In the end, we are missing pure power,” Vasseur confirmed to Sky Sports.
Mounting Pressure Before Madrid
The power unit deficit trapped Ferrari strategically, leaving them unable to attack or defend efficiently. However, the internal driver dynamic has provoked immediate scrutiny following Vasseur’s reluctance to freeze driver hierarchy.
Hamilton publicly challenged the team structure after the race, demanding procedural changes to stop repeated intra-team clashes.
“Ultimately, it comes from the top,” Hamilton told formula1.com. “We’ve got to change things, because this is not helping us to move forward.”
Ferrari now face immense pressure to deliver a unified operational response at the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
“We will come to Madrid with all the energy that we need to do a good result,” Vasseur added.
