PREVIEW: A return to action at the Temple of Speed

The summer break is over and the drivers are all set to jump back into their cars for Round 10 of the 2026 FIA Formula 2 season at Monza.

The Temple of Speed has created many iconic moments in championship history, and with the title fight closer than ever, we are set for another incredible weekend of racing in Italy.

With 22 drivers raring to go after the hiatus, here is everything you need to know about the trip to Monza…

WHAT TO EXPECT

The drivers will hit the track for the first time on Friday morning at 10:00 local time for the 45-minute Free Practice outing.

Qualifying follows later in the day at 14:55 local time, the result of this session sets the grid for both Monza races.

The first race of the weekend is on Saturday afternoon with the 21-lap Sprint listed to start at 14:15 local time.

The drivers will get more one more chance to claim glory at the historic Italian venue in the Feature Race. Lights out is scheduled for 09:45 local time on Sunday morning.

In addition to that, the 2027 FIA Formula 2 car is set to be revealed on Saturday morning at 11:30 local time.

STAT PACK

• Only two drivers have converted pole position into Feature Race victory at Monza – Oscar Piastri in 2021 and Luke Browning in 2025.
• Gabriel Bortoleto’s 2024 Feature Race win is the furthest back from which any driver has won at Monza, with the Brazilian charging from last to first.
• Joshua Duerksen has three Formula 2 podiums at Monza – tied for the most with Luca Ghiotto, Christian Lundgaard, Jehan Daruvala and Frederik Vesti.
• Eight drivers have won races so far this season, with championship leader Nikola Tsolov setting the benchmark on six victories.
• Rafael Câmara’s four pole positions are the most by any driver this year with Kush Maini (2) the only other driver with more than one pole this season.

FROM THE GRID – John Bennett, TRIDENT

“I’ll describe the Monza weekend as fast, Italian, and passionate. The venue itself is super cool. The Italian fans are always amazing, and now being with an Italian team it will be even cooler.

“On track, the best places to overtake are down the inside or around the outside into Turn 1. If you are around the outside at T1, you can be on the inside at Turn 2. So you go into T1 with DRS, and then you get the overlap into the big braking zone.

“The challenges of Monza are the braking zones, because you've got a low downforce setup on the car, but you are approaching everywhere at super high speeds, and you have to get the braking points right.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Pierre-Alain Michot, FIA Formula 2 Technical Director

“Monza is an incredible venue where three quarters of the lap is spent at full throttle, and with top end speed vital, downforce requirements are low."

“At the end of several of these long straights are heavy braking zones, especially at Turn 1, so braking demands are high, as is fuel consumption.

“The drivers will be eyeing a slipstream in Qualifying but history shows that victory can be achieved outside of the front row, and this often leads to very entertaining races.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

The two softest compounds in the range have been selected for the race weekend at Monza. Soft and Supersoft will therefore be the available options at one of the fastest circuits on the calendar. In the Feature Race, the theoretically quickest strategy is expected to involve starting on the Supersoft, followed by a pit stop around lap seven and then completing the race on the Soft compound. Tyre degradation at Monza should not be severe enough to compromise the length of the opening stint on the Supersoft. Graining could occur mainly on the front axle, while the rear tyres may be susceptible to overheating due to the frequent traction phases that characterise this circuit. Should track temperatures fail to reach the high expected levels, graining could become the dominant factor in tyre management.