Lewis Hamilton’s chances of winning the Italian GP get a big lift after Fred Vasseur’s surprise news
Lewis Hamilton has a great chance to catch up with Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli at Monza this weekend.
Antonelli is back at his home Grand Prix after finishing ninth last year. But Hamilton is closing in, thanks to some new upgrades from Ferrari.
Both Hamilton and his teammate George Russell are 59 points behind Antonelli after 12 races. Hamilton is looking for his second win of the 2026 season at the Italian GP, where he has won five times before between 2012 and 2018. He won the championship four times in those years and also won after his first win in Antonelli’s nearby Emilia-Romagna race six years ago.
Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been scoring steady points lately, while Antonelli’s recent podium finishes in Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands helped him bounce back after some tough racing, including a loss at Silverstone.
As the F1 teams arrive at Monza, Hamilton and Leclerc have some new upgrades to boost their chances. Ferrari has confirmed they will use Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) to improve their power unit ahead of the Italian GP.
Ferrari, along with Audi and Honda, can make engine upgrades because they need to catch up to the pace set by Red Bull.
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur told Planet F1, “We’re adding an updated power unit as part of our ADUO upgrades. It’s a step forward, and this year is all about small improvements. Monza is a tough track with close competition, so our focus is to do everything right from the start of the weekend.”
Hamilton has pointed out Ferrari’s power unit challenges this year. In June, their upgrade helped him get his first win as a Ferrari driver at Barcelona.
The 41-year-old driver has also shared frustrations about team strategy, especially after finishing fifth at Zandvoort in August. That result made him lose ground to Russell, Antonelli, and even race winner Lando Norris in the championship.
ADUO was introduced for the 2026 season to help teams improve. According to F1, the FIA monitors each manufacturer’s engine performance using an ‘ICE Performance Index.’ When a power unit is 2% or more behind the best, ADUO upgrades are allowed.
If a power unit is 4% or more behind, that manufacturer can make two extra upgrades this season and two more next season.
With these new boosts, Hamilton and Ferrari hope to close the gap and make the Italian GP an exciting race!