Monza welcomes back F1 for the latest instalment of the 2025 season, as McLaren look to continue their dominance in both championships.

Oscar Piastri holds a strong lead in the drivers standings following a career first grand slam last weekend in Zandvoort. On his way to a victory that was never really in doubt, he saw teammate Lando Norris’ race end prematurely with what we now know to be a chassis issue.

The Brit will be looking to bounce back this weekend, but this was one of the few races last year where Oscar was a match for him. Piastri finished ahead of Norris after a bold and brilliant move on the first lap but ultimately lost out to a sensational drive from Charles Leclerc.

The Ferrari man “doesn’t expect to fight for the win” but added he felt exactly the same way last year prior to his one-stop heroics that led him to glory. There is always pressure on Ferrari to deliver at home, but particularly this year following a double DNF and a generally disappointing season as a whole.

On the other side of the garage, Lewis Hamilton enters his first Monza weekend as a Ferrari driver with a 5-place grid drop locked in already, as he faces another uphill battle in a testing season for the seven-time champion.

Red Bull struggled at this venue last year, and as a result have brought a Monza specific rear wing for the first time in this regulation cycle. Previously, the Red Bull car had been more efficient than the rest of the grid, allowing for a little more downforce to be run. In 2024, that was no longer the case as the pack had caught up, leaving Verstappen and Perez languishing with a rear wing with bits cut out to try and minimise drag.

Elsewhere, the midfield battle rages on. Hadjar’s podium lifted the Racing Bulls team to just two points behind Aston Martin in sixth and 20 behind Williams in fifth. This race could see another momentum swing at a track the Aston’s have struggled at and where Williams have always done relatively well.

This is also a circuit which is no stranger to throwing up a strange result, so all the drivers will be keen to capitalise should an opportunity arise.