Hot, Dry Monza Forecast Favors Antonelli Despite Grid Penalty
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 1, 2026
Monza forecast and Antonelli
The Italian Grand Prix brings Formula 1 to Monza as the 13th race of the 2026 season, and the forecast points to hot, sunny weather with little chance of rain. Kimi Antonelli heads into the weekend with a back-of-the-grid penalty expected after a power-unit change, but he still leads George Russell by 59 points. That gives the event an immediate storyline before the cars even roll out for the first session. Antonelli’s situation puts extra weight on every lap he can find from the back, especially with the race set for 53 laps. Ferrari also plans to run a Michael Schumacher tribute livery at Monza, adding another point of interest to a weekend that already carries plenty of attention. The setting is fixed, the schedule is tight and the conditions look set for a dry run through practice, qualifying and the race itself.
Norris and McLaren
Lando Norris arrives at Monza after back-to-back wins in Hungary and Zandvoort, and McLaren has already secured him for the long term with a new contract through the end of 2030. That keeps one of the team’s names in place well beyond this season and gives Monza another driver story to track alongside Antonelli’s penalty and Ferrari’s tribute plan. Norris’ recent results also make him one of the key figures entering a weekend that sits deep in the Formula 1 calendar. The rest of the single-seater ladder is active too, with Formula 2 and Formula 3 both scheduled to race at Monza during the same weekend. Nikola Tsolov leads the F2 championship fight, which puts added interest on the support program as teams and drivers work through the same venue that Formula 1 will use. Monza therefore gives fans more than one headline, with the main event surrounded by a full program and a few championship threads running at once.
Monza schedule and coverage
The on-track timetable starts Friday with Formula 1 practice at 12:30 p.m. local time and FP2 at 4 p.m. local time. Saturday brings final practice at 12:30 p.m. local time and qualifying at 4 p.m. local time, then the grand prix starts Sunday at 2 p.m. UK time. The race is scheduled for 53 laps, so the weekend moves quickly from the first laps in practice to the final laps of the main event. Fans can watch every session live on F1 TV Pro or F1 TV Premium, and live timing will be available on F1.com and the F1 app. F2 and F3 are part of the same Monza weekend, so the circuit stays busy across the full stretch of the event. The schedule leaves little idle time for teams or drivers, with all three days carrying a full slate of running before the Italian Grand Prix reaches the flag.
