News summary
- George Russell believes Mercedes has a greater opportunity to win at Monza than it did at the last two Grands Prix.
- The Briton expects McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes to fight for victory at the Italian GP, with Ferrari’s new upgrade adding another variable.
- Russell still considers McLaren the team to beat, with Lando Norris coming off consecutive wins in Hungary and the Netherlands.
George Russell believes Mercedes has a better chance of fighting for victory at the Italian GP than it did at the last two rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season, although he stopped short of calling the Silver Arrows favorites.
Monza presents a very different challenge from the Hungaroring and Zandvoort. While the previous two circuits placed greater emphasis on chassis performance, the Italian track’s long straights and high-speed sections put greater importance on power-unit performance and energy management.
“I don’t know if we can say we’re favourites this weekend, but we probably have a greater opportunity than we’ve had in the last two races where it’s been less about the power unit and more about the chassis,” Russell said.
“As I said, I think we definitely have or had the best chassis and I think we will do again in the upcoming races.”
Despite Mercedes’ potential advantage in a low-downforce configuration, Russell does not expect the team to have an easy path to victory. Red Bull’s power unit, Ferrari’s upgrade and McLaren’s recent form could all play a decisive role at Monza.
“We can’t forget Red Bull have a very strong power unit as well. We know this circuit is going to suit them more than the others. Ferrari with the upgrade. So I think it can be a four-team race this weekend,” Russell said.
“It’s so close right now that last tenth in qualifying can be the difference of a couple of positions which can change the podium.”
Russell therefore expects Ferrari to be a genuine threat at its home race, particularly after the team introduced a power-unit upgrade for the Italian GP. The Briton’s assessment is that the margins between the leading teams are now sufficiently small for a single tenth of a second in qualifying to have a major effect on the final result.
Russell nevertheless identified McLaren as the benchmark heading into the Italian GP. Lando Norris has won the last two Grands Prix, in Hungary and the Netherlands, while McLaren has remained highly competitive through the recent stretch of the season.
“When you look at the past couple of races and how competitive Lando and McLaren have been, it’s definitely very fair to say that they are the team to beat right now,” Russell said.
“We know we’re an upgrade behind most and we hope we can go back to being the team to beat in a couple of races’ time. But for now, the fight’s with McLaren.”
Mercedes nevertheless leaves Zandvoort with confidence after Russell won the Sprint and finished third in the Grand Prix, behind Norris and teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“I actually think we came away from Zandvoort having a very positive weekend as a team and I think a P2 and a P3, and the Sprint win was actually probably better than the true car’s performance,” Russell concluded.
The 2026 Formula 1 season continues this weekend at Monza, with the Italian GP taking place from September 4-6. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action from the 13th round of the championship.
FAQ
Why does Russell believe Mercedes has a better chance at Monza?
Monza places greater emphasis on power-unit performance and energy deployment than the recent races in Hungary and the Netherlands, where chassis performance played a larger role.
Why could Ferrari be a threat at Monza?
Ferrari has brought a power-unit upgrade to its home race, while Monza’s long straights make engine performance particularly important.
Who does Russell expect to fight for victory at Monza?
He expects Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull to be involved in the battle, describing it as potentially a four-team race. However, he still considers McLaren the team to beat based on its recent form.
