Fred Vasseur praised Ferrari’s new ADUO2 power unit after Friday practice at Monza, while admitting Mercedes still holds a significant advantage.

Ferrari had plenty of reasons to be optimistic after Friday at Monza.

The team finished first in FP1 and second in FP2, only around one tenth behind Mercedes. The Scuderia also introduced its second upgraded power unit under the ADUO system, giving the team another opportunity to reduce its deficit.

Ferrari’s New Engine Delivers a Step Forward

Fred Vasseur says the new engine has made a meaningful difference, although he does not believe Ferrari has completely closed the gap to Mercedes.

The Frenchman stressed that straight-line performance depends on much more than the engine alone, including aerodynamic drag and vehicle weight.

Ferrari introduced its second ADUO-upgraded power unit at Monza.

“We have definitely made a step forward, we didn’t bring ADUO2 for nothing,” Vasseur explained.

However, he added that Ferrari still faces a significant gap.

Mercedes continues to benefit from a particularly strong electrical system, which allows its cars to deploy energy efficiently over a larger portion of the lap.

Monza Highlights the Engine Difference

The FIA’s decision to limit recoverable electrical energy at Monza is also changing the picture.

With less energy available, the difference between the internal-combustion engines becomes more visible.

The reduced energy allowance at Monza puts greater emphasis on the performance of the combustion engine.

Ferrari’s drivers have shown that there is still time to recover in the straights, while Mercedes has generally remained stronger in energy deployment.

Ferrari is nevertheless encouraged by the comparison with McLaren and Red Bull, which appear to be struggling more with the unique demands of Monza.

Ferrari Will Not Sacrifice One Driver for a Slipstream

Ferrari also ruled out using one of its cars specifically to give the other a tow in qualifying.

With both Mercedes and other teams considering how to exploit slipstreams, Ferrari wants to maximize both cars rather than sacrifice one.

Ferrari plans to give both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc the opportunity to fight for the best qualifying result.

Vasseur believes having two cars at the front is an advantage and prefers to use both rather than copy strategies designed for a driver starting from the back.

Another potential advantage for Ferrari could come from the tires.

At Monza, track temperatures above 50°C have made cooling the tires more important than simply bringing them up to operating temperature.

For the Ferrari ADUO2 engine, the evidence from Friday is encouraging, but Vasseur’s message is clear: Ferrari has improved, yet Mercedes remains the benchmark.

Pierre Waché says Red Bull is still struggling with balance issues similar to those seen at Zandvoort, while the team also works to improve its energy management.

Red Bull expected Monza to suit the RB22 better than Zandvoort.

Friday’s practice sessions told a different story.

Both Red Bulls finished behind Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad and Haas driver Oliver Bearman, leaving the team with plenty of work to do before qualifying.

Verstappen Struggles With the RB22

Max Verstappen missed FP1, handing the seat to Ayumu Iwasa.

When Verstappen returned for FP2, he immediately reported several problems, including difficulties with the brakes, rear downforce, and significant bouncing after setup changes.

Max Verstappen struggled with the RB22 during Friday practice at Monza.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché admitted the car has a fundamental balance problem.

“It’s clear that we have a balance issue with the car,” Waché said.

He also acknowledged that the problem looks similar to what Red Bull experienced at Zandvoort.

Red Bull Has to Choose Between Components

Waché says Red Bull is evaluating different setup directions and components to find a solution.

The issue does not appear to be tied exclusively to the latest upgrades, with the team instead considering several components that have been available for multiple races.

Pierre Waché says Red Bull is evaluating different configurations and components to improve the RB22’s balance.

Verstappen’s absence from FP1 also limited the team’s data and reduced the time available to react before FP3.

Meanwhile, Iwasa reported similar handling characteristics.

The Japanese driver said the car felt good at low speeds but became difficult to manage at high speed, with the balance feeling disconnected.

Energy Management Is Another Challenge

Red Bull also encountered some problems with energy management, another major factor at Monza under the 2026 regulations.

Iwasa said the team identified an issue during the lap before a qualifying-style run.

Red Bull is also working on its energy deployment and recovery strategy for the low-energy Monza circuit.

Waché does not consider energy management a major concern yet, arguing that practice sessions are specifically designed to identify and solve these issues.

The bigger priority is clearly the car’s balance.

Red Bull has built a reputation for recovering from difficult weekends, but Waché remains cautious.

For Red Bull Monza, the immediate objective is to understand why the RB22 is once again struggling at high speed and find the right combination of setup and components before the competitive sessions begin.

Franco Colapinto finished 11th in FP2 at Monza after finally receiving Alpine’s latest upgrades, and his first impression was strongly positive.

Franco Colapinto finally got his hands on Alpine’s latest upgrade package at Monza, and his first impression was encouraging.

After missing out on the new parts at Zandvoort while Pierre Gasly used them, the Argentine driver said the updated A526 felt significantly better during the opening session.

A Strong First Impression

Colapinto finished 11th in FP2, remaining close to the top 10 in an extremely tight midfield.

He was also ahead of Gasly on Friday, adding to an encouraging first day for the Argentine.

Franco Colapinto finally received Alpine’s latest upgrades at Monza and immediately noticed a significant improvement.

“The car was quite good and made many steps compared with the last races,” Colapinto said after Friday’s running.

He believes the Alpine was even stronger in FP1 than the final classification suggested.

A power-unit problem prevented him from completing a proper low-fuel run on soft tires, which he believes could have placed him inside the top five or six.

The A526 Lost Grip in FP2

Despite finishing 11th, Colapinto felt less comfortable with the car during the afternoon session.

The Alpine appeared to lose grip in slow corners, while traction was also weaker.

Colapinto reported less grip and a different balance during FP2 despite the promising performance of the upgraded A526.

The driver described the car as feeling more “disconnected” and admitted that he did not yet understand why the balance had changed so much between sessions.

Finding the cause will be one of Alpine’s main priorities before qualifying.

The midfield remains extremely competitive, with Racing Bulls, Haas, Audi, Williams, and Alpine separated by only a few tenths.

Rebufos and Energy Management Add More Challenges

Monza will also bring the usual slipstream battle during qualifying.

Colapinto experienced traffic during Friday’s runs and expects the situation to become chaotic, although he believes it will still be less dramatic than Formula 2 or Formula 3.

Colapinto expects slipstream traffic to create another challenge during qualifying at Monza.

He was less enthusiastic about the energy management required by the 2026 cars.

Colapinto said drivers can effectively run out of battery by the end of a lap, even affecting the exit of the final corner.

Still, the biggest takeaway from Friday was the performance of the updated Alpine.

For Franco Colapinto Alpine, the arrival of the new package has provided the positive step the Argentine had been waiting for since Zandvoort.