The Italian GP Watchlist
Get the inside track with five things you need to know as Formula 1 heads to Monza
Published
01 SEP 2026
Est. reading time
3 min
Atlassian Williams F1 Team heads to Monza for the thirteenth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with the Italian Grand Prix bringing the championship to one of the sport’s most historic venues.
From its legendary high speed layout to its passionate atmosphere, there’s always plenty to look forward to when Formula 1 arrives in Italy.
With Luke Browning set to take part in FP1 and another weekend of racing ahead, here are five things to keep an eye on at Monza.
A strong track record
Monza has been a strong circuit for Atlassian Williams F1 Team in recent years, with the team scoring points at the circuit in nine of the 11 races since 2014.
That run has included Alex Albon’s P7 finishes in both 2023 and 2025, while the team also scored points in 2024 with Alex bringing his car home in P9.
With that recent record in mind, can Alex and Carlos keep the team's strong run at Monza going this weekend?
Luke’s next opportunity
Luke Browning will be back behind the wheel of the FW48 at Monza, taking Alex Albon’s seat for FP1 as he gets another opportunity to gain valuable Formula 1 mileage.
It will be Luke’s second FP1 appearance of the 2026 season, following his outing in Austria, and another chance to work alongside the team while continuing to build his understanding of the car.
With Monza’s high speed nature providing a very different challenge, keep an eye on Luke as he gets his latest taste of Formula 1.
Speed, speed and more speed
There’s a reason Monza is one of the most recognisable circuits on the F1 calendar, it’s very fast!
With long straights, heavy braking zones and just 11 corners, the cars spend a significant amount of the lap at full throttle. That makes straight line speed and efficiency particularly important as the drivers tackle one of the fastest circuits of the season.
In fact, last year’s Italian Grand Prix became the fastest F1 race in history with a total race time of 1:13:24.325! Will this year's race be able to beat this?
Alessandro’s penultimate race
The 2026 FIA Formula 3 season is entering its final stages, with Alessandro Giusti heading to Monza for the penultimate round of the championship.
The Atlassian Williams F1 Team Driver Academy driver currently sits 20th in the Drivers’ Championship with 17 points. His strongest results came in Monaco, where he secured P4 in the Sprint Race and P7 in the Feature Race, before adding further points with P9 finishes in both Spa races.
With Monza and Madrid still to come, Alessandro has four races remaining to add to his tally and will be looking to finish his campaign strongly as the F3 season heads towards its finale.
A Monza win to remember
Monza has played an important part in Williams’ Formula 1 history, with the team taking six victories at the Italian Grand Prix.
The most recent came in 2005, when Juan Pablo Montoya took his second Monza win for Williams, adding another chapter to the team’s impressive record at the circuit.
Our first victory at Monza came almost two decades earlier in 1986, when Nelson Piquet led the team to the top step of the podium.
With so much history behind the team at this iconic venue, Monza always provides a chance to add another chapter to the Williams story.
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