Italian GP 2026: Monza turns F1 into an oval-like slipstream race – and a 20-year-old driver breaks every rule

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza was the most dramatic example yet of Formula 1’s new “yo-yo racing” style. Cars could overtake easily using extra battery power, but then could not pull away because the battery quickly ran out. On Monza’s long straights, the huge slipstream effect combined with the electric overtake mode kept slower cars attached to faster cars, making the race look like an oval-track slipstream fight. Max Verstappen could not truly challenge Mercedes’ pace, yet he could stay with George Russell by using the tow. Once Verstappen got ahead, he became a sitting duck. “People drive by you like you’re a turtle,” he said. Andrea Stella, McLaren team boss, explained that a faster car now struggles to pull away from a slower car. He estimated the slipstream plus defensive boost can create up to half a second per lap. Fred Vasseur said Ferrari could neither attack nor defend without draining the battery. The only driver who truly broke the pattern was Kimi Antonelli. Starting 19th, the 20-year-old Mercedes driver gradually passed every group and won the race. Toto Wolff compared Antonelli’s traffic management to Lewis Hamilton. “When a driver and a car are one, nothing can stop them,” Wolff said. Monza 2026 will be remembered as the race that defined the new regulations, where energy management became the dominant factor and one bold young driver proved that human skill still matters.