If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to have 335,000 people collectively hold their breath, then you’ve never stood in the Parco di Monza on a September Sunday. The Italian Grand Prix is not just a race; it’s a fever dream of speed, heartbreak, and hope, painted in Ferrari red and punctuated by the shrill of V12s—well, these days, V6s and a lot of marketing. As we approach the 2025 edition, the ghosts of last year’s triumph and disaster still haunt the Temple of Speed. This weekend, the stakes are higher, the pressure more suffocating, and the storylines more tangled than a 1980s pit lane punch-up.
- The Tifosi’s Hangover: Remembering 2024
- 2025: New Faces, Old Demons
- The Championship Picture: McLaren’s Ascendancy
- Monza: The Temple of Speed and Suffering
- Ferrari: Homecoming or Humbling?
- McLaren: The New Kings of Speed
- The Wildcards: Antonelli, Hadjar, and Williams
- Weather, Strategy, and the Unknown
- Odds and Predictions: Who Will Wear the Laurel?
- The Ghosts of Monza: History Never Sleeps
- Waste a bit more time
The Tifosi’s Hangover: Remembering 2024
Let’s start with the wound that still hasn’t healed: 2024. Last year, Monza was a cauldron of ecstasy and agony. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari’s prodigal son, delivered a victory that sent the Tifosi into raptures, their faith rewarded after years of false dawns. The grandstands became a sea of red, the air thick with flares, chants, and the kind of joy that only comes from decades of suffering. As one commentator put it
HE WINS IN MONZA!!! 🇮🇹
IT’S CHARLES LECLERC FOR FERRARI AT THEIR HOME RACE – AGAIN! 🏆👏
STUNNING, SIMPLY STUNNING!#F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/Iw74Erfuwp
But Monza is never just about the winner. The 2024 race was a microcosm of everything that makes Formula 1 both glorious and cruel. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri led for 31 of the first 38 laps, only to be undone by a late pit stop and the relentless pressure of Leclerc’s charge. Lando Norris, the perennial nearly-man, watched his title hopes flicker as mechanical gremlins forced him out at Zandvoort the week before, setting the stage for a desperate comeback at Monza that never materialized.
The numbers tell their own story. Attendance soared to 335,000, up from 304,000 in 2023 source. The Tifosi, starved for glory, got their feast. But as every Ferrari fan knows, the hangover is always lurking around the next chicane.
2025: New Faces, Old Demons
Fast-forward to today, and the mood is—how shall we put it?—nervous. Ferrari’s homecoming is tinged with both anticipation and dread. The headlines scream about Lewis Hamilton’s first Monza in red, but the reality is less poetic. Hamilton, seven-time world champion and now the most scrutinized man in Italy, arrives carrying a five-place grid penalty for a yellow-flag infringement at Zandvoort source. His debut season with Ferrari has been, in the words of team boss Fred Vasseur, “a tough start” source.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, is still the Tifosi’s golden boy, but the pressure to repeat last year’s heroics is suffocating. And then there’s Kimi Antonelli, the rookie Mercedes sensation and Italy’s new hope, returning home after a disastrous collision with Leclerc at Zandvoort. As one preview put it,
It’s a poisoned chalice, but Kimi will get a lot of love from the fans for sure this weekend. What needs to be seen is whether it propels him to a strong result or limits him.
Sportskeeda Preview
The Championship Picture: McLaren’s Ascendancy
If you’re looking for a fairy tale, you might want to avert your eyes. The 2025 season has been a McLaren masterclass. Oscar Piastri leads the championship with 309 points, 34 ahead of teammate Lando Norris. Max Verstappen, once the sport’s unstoppable force, is a distant third, 104 points adrift source. McLaren’s dominance is so complete that Ferrari and Mercedes are left scrapping for table scraps—260 and 246 points, respectively.
The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort was a turning point. Norris’s engine failure and Leclerc’s crash with Antonelli handed Piastri a golden opportunity, which he seized with the ruthlessness of a man who knows history rarely offers second chances. As the paddock rolls into Monza, the question is not whether McLaren can win, but whether anyone else can stop them.
Monza: The Temple of Speed and Suffering
Monza is not just a racetrack; it’s a living, breathing entity. The circuit has hosted more Grands Prix than any other, its history woven into the fabric of Formula 1. Ferrari’s first win here came in 1951, courtesy of Alberto Ascari. Michael Schumacher’s 2000 victory was so emotional he wept on the podium, tying Ayrton Senna’s win tally and moving closer to his first Ferrari title. The 1971 race remains the closest finish in F1 history—Peter Gethin winning by 0.01 seconds.
The track itself is a paradox: brutally fast, yet unforgiving. Cars spend nearly 80% of the lap at full throttle, with overtaking opportunities at Turn 1 and the Ascari/Parabolica chicanes. It’s a one-stop race, usually, but Monza has a habit of throwing up safety cars and chaos, especially on the opening lap source.
Ferrari: Homecoming or Humbling?
Let’s not mince words: Ferrari is under siege. The double DNF at Zandvoort—Leclerc colliding with Antonelli, Hamilton in the wall—has left morale at rock bottom. The Tifosi, ever loyal, will turn out in force, but their patience is not infinite. As one preview noted,
Driving for Ferrari at the F1 Italian GP is not only prestigious, it’s one of the ultimate satisfactions of being a driver. But we cannot deny that Hamilton comes to the track with some of his worst form in recent times.
Sportskeeda Preview
Leclerc, a two-time Monza winner, remains the best hope for a home victory. His record here is formidable: top four in five of his last six Italian Grands Prix. But the pressure is immense. As the official F1 Fantasy preview put it,
Ferrari always seem to turn the wick up in front of their home crowd and Leclerc could be in line for a Driver of the Day nod.
F1 Fantasy Preview
Hamilton, meanwhile, faces the ultimate test. The British press is already sharpening its knives, and the Italian media is never shy about expressing disappointment. As Vasseur candidly admitted,
It’s untrue that Márquez rides very fast but doesn’t understand anything…
Fred Vasseur
—wait, wrong sport, but the sentiment applies. Hamilton’s challenge is not just to survive, but to prove he still belongs among the elite.
Lewis Hamilton has received a five-place grid penalty for Ferrari’s home grand prix at Monza after he breached yellow flag rules ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.
TSN, 2025
McLaren: The New Kings of Speed
If Ferrari is the heart, McLaren is the head. The Woking outfit has turned Monza into its personal playground in recent years. Daniel Ricciardo’s 2021 win broke a decade-long drought, and since then, the orange cars have been a constant threat. Piastri and Norris have both tasted success here, and the 2025 car is a missile in low-downforce trim.
Piastri, in particular, is riding a wave of momentum. Seven wins this season, including a masterclass at Zandvoort, have made him the man to beat. Norris, wounded by misfortune, is 34 points behind but remains McLaren’s ace in the hole. The team’s straight-line speed and tire management are perfectly suited to Monza’s demands.
As the F1 Fantasy strategist put it,
Oscar Piastri continues to impress as the best driver in F1 Fantasy this season… Expect Piastri to compete for a maiden Italian Grand Prix victory this weekend after falling just short a year ago.
F1 Fantasy Strategist
The Wildcards: Antonelli, Hadjar, and Williams
Every Monza weekend throws up a surprise, and 2025 is unlikely to be different. Kimi Antonelli, Italy’s rookie sensation, returns home with a point to prove. His form has been solid—multiple top-six finishes—but the pressure of racing in front of the home crowd is a different beast. The Mercedes is quick, but Antonelli’s real test will be mental.
Isack Hadjar, the French rookie, is another name to watch. His maiden podium at Zandvoort has put him on the radar for a Red Bull seat in 2026 source. As Ralf Schumacher put it,
He’s doing well… Of course there is a chance next year, as everyone starts anew. Max Verstappen will also have to adjust to the new concept first. That means that for Hadjar it might actually be an opportunity to perform decently.
Ralf Schumacher
And then there’s Williams. The Grove-based squad has made a habit of punching above its weight at Monza, and with Alex Albon in inspired form, don’t be surprised if they spoil the party for one of the big teams.
Weather, Strategy, and the Unknown
For once, the weather gods seem to be smiling. The forecast is dry, reducing the risk of chaos but also making overtaking more difficult. Monza is notorious for processional races when the field is closely matched, but the threat of a safety car or a late-race twist is ever-present.
Strategy will be key. The low tire wear means most teams will opt for a one-stop, but track position is everything. Qualifying will be a slipstream lottery, with drivers jostling for the perfect tow down the main straight. Expect fireworks in Q3, and don’t rule out a shock pole from someone willing to risk it all.
Odds and Predictions: Who Will Wear the Laurel?
Let’s talk odds. Piastri is the bookmakers’ favorite, with Norris close behind. Leclerc and Hamilton are longer shots, but the home crowd can work miracles—or pile on the pressure. Hadjar and Antonelli are the wildcards, while Williams is the dark horse for a top-six finish.
| Driver | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Oscar Piastri | 2.5 |
| Lando Norris | 3.0 |
| Charles Leclerc | 4.5 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 7.0 |
| Kimi Antonelli | 12.0 |
| Isack Hadjar | 15.0 |
| Alex Albon | 20.0 |
(Indicative odds based on current form and external previews.)
The Ghosts of Monza: History Never Sleeps
Monza is a place where history is never far from the surface. Every corner echoes with the triumphs and tragedies of the past. Ferrari’s first win in 1951. Schumacher’s tears in 2000. Vettel’s shock victory for Toro Rosso in 2008. Ricciardo’s shoey in 2021. Leclerc’s redemption in 2024.
This weekend, the ghosts will be watching. Will Hamilton finally silence his critics in red? Can Leclerc repeat his heroics? Will McLaren’s orange tide wash away the hopes of the Tifosi? Or will a new name write themselves into Monza folklore?
As ever, the only certainty is uncertainty. In the words of an old Italian proverb,
At Monza, the only thing faster than the cars is the heartbreak.
Italian Proverb
Waste a bit more time
- Relive Leclerc’s 2024 Monza triumph: X.com post
- 2025 Italian GP preview and predictions: Sportskeeda
- F1 Fantasy picks for Monza: Formula1.com
- Everything you need to know about attending Monza: F1Destinations
- Hadjar’s rise and Red Bull rumors: GPBlog
- The ultimate fan guide to Monza: Formula1.com
- 2025 Italian GP discussion: ClipTheApex
- Watch the latest F1 news and highlights: Sky Sports F1 Live Blog
