04–06 SEP · MONZA · ROUND 13
Italian Grand Prix 2026 predictions
Top speed matters at Monza, but so do braking stability and traction out of the chicanes. Check all three before choosing your qualifying and race Top 5.
Weekend schedule
MONZA TIME- Practice 1
- Fri 4 Sept, 12:30 CEST
- Practice 2
- Fri 4 Sept, 16:00 CEST
- Practice 3
- Sat 5 Sept, 12:30 CEST
- Qualifying
- Sat 5 Sept, 16:00 CEST
- Grand Prix
- Sun 6 Sept, 15:00 CEST
What matters at Monza
A speed-trap result can be inflated by a tow. Compare clean laps, braking performance and long-run pace before moving a driver into your Top 5.
- 5.793
- km circuit
- 53
- race laps
- 80%
- full throttle
- 1.1
- km main straight
Straight-line pace
Speed without relying on a tow
A clean speed trace is more useful than the headline trap number.
Heavy braking
A settled car into Rettifilo and Roggia
Lock-ups or poor rotation make overtaking and tyre life harder.
Corner exits
Traction out of both chicanes
A weak exit gives away speed for the length of the next straight.
Long runs
Consistent pace rather than one quick lap
Race picks need tyre behaviour and repeatable pace, not a qualifying tow.
Hadjar is hopeful of returning at Monza
Isack Hadjar missed the Dutch Grand Prix after hurting his wrist while boxing during the summer break. Sky Sports reported a small crack in a wrist bone. Liam Lawson filled his Red Bull seat, while Yuki Tsunoda moved into Lawson’s Racing Bulls car alongside Arvid Lindblad.
Hadjar said he hoped the extra recovery time would allow him to race at Monza. Treat that as encouraging, not final: wait for confirmation from the team or the official entry before relying on him in a pick. Read the report (opens in a new tab).
- Monza status
- Hopeful, not confirmed
- Red Bull cover at Zandvoort
- Liam Lawson
- Racing Bulls cover
- Yuki Tsunoda
Championship standings before Monza
After 12 rounds, Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ table by 59 points. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are tied on 183, with Lando Norris 24 points further back. Use that as a form check, then compare it with the low-downforce pace shown in practice.
View full 2026 standingsDrivers
AFTER 12 ROUNDS- 1Kimi Antonelli242 PTS
- 2George Russell183 PTS
- 3Lewis Hamilton183 PTS
- 4Lando Norris159 PTS
- 5Charles Leclerc155 PTS
- 6Max Verstappen112 PTS
Standings after the Dutch Grand Prix, checked 24 August 2026. Source (opens in a new tab)
Before you lock your Top 5
Compare like-for-like practice laps
Check whether the drivers ran similar fuel, tyres and track conditions. At Monza, note who had a tow.
Check how each qualifying lap was set
Qualifying matters, but traffic and slipstreams can exaggerate small differences between cars.
Account for Turn 1
Rettifilo compresses the field into one heavy stop. A pick near the back of your Top 5 carries extra opening-lap risk.
Resolve close calls after FP3
Use final practice, weather and confirmed driver availability before separating closely matched drivers.
Italian Grand Prix prediction questions
When is the 2026 Italian Grand Prix?
The Italian Grand Prix runs from 4 to 6 September 2026 at Monza. Qualifying is on Saturday and the 53-lap Grand Prix is on Sunday.
Will Isack Hadjar race at Monza?
Hadjar said he was hopeful of returning after missing Zandvoort with a wrist injury. His Monza seat was not confirmed when this guide was reviewed, so check the final entry and team updates before locking a pick.
What matters most when predicting Monza?
Watch straight-line speed alongside braking stability, traction out of the chicanes and representative long-run pace. A lap helped by a strong tow can flatter a car at Monza.
Are other players’ picks visible before the session?
No. Picks stay private until the relevant session locks, so nobody can copy another player’s Top 5 before making their own call.
How are Italian Grand Prix predictions scored?
An exact Top 5 position earns 5 points, one position away earns 3, and selecting a driver who finishes elsewhere in the actual Top 5 earns 1 point.
Make your Monza picks
Choose five drivers for qualifying and five for the race. You can change them until each session locks.