Monza's 'Temple of Speed' faces a new reality under 2026 F1 power units

The usual blistering pace of a Monza weekend won't be evident this year, with the new power unit regulations being at their most exposed around the Temple of Speed. Monza usually sees some of the highest top speeds of the year, as teams peel off downforce and tear down the long straights of the historic Milan circuit, but the venue will host a different type of race weekend this season.

The vagaries of this year's energy-starved power units have been written about copiously since the start of the season, with faster tracks like Suzuka, Silverstone, and Spa-Francorchamps highlighting the weaknesses of the new regulations. But Monza has long been identified as perhaps the circuit where the 2026 vintage will be most exposed. The long blasts through Milan parkland, interspersed only by a handful of braking zones, offer drivers almost no chance to harvest energy, depleting the batteries early in the lap. Without battery power, the cars coast using only the internal combustion engine, effectively halving total power to somewhere in the 400-450 horsepower range. Contrast that with the 1000 horsepower V6s of the previous cycle, and it's clear why drivers aren't salivating over a far less challenging and edgy Monza.

Why it matters:

Monza has long been the ultimate test of top speed and low-downforce bravery. With the 2026 power units unable to sustain energy deployment, the circuit's character is fundamentally altered. The lack of harvest opportunities means the cars will be significantly slower on the straights, potentially even slower than at the tight and twisty Hungaroring, and the spectacle of slipstreaming battles will be replaced by a more strategic, energy-management race.

The details:

• Drivers who have tried Monza in their simulators paint a stark picture. Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad described it as one of his most "confusing" sim sessions: "There's just not much battery, so we don't actually go slower on the straights. We don't use any. It's quite slow." He added: "There'll be no 350 [km/h]. So, if you have any bets on breaking any speed trap records, don't, because it's not very fast."
• The FIA has confirmed reduced harvesting limits of 5.0mJ for qualifying and 7.0mJ for the race (7.5mJ for overtake mode), reducing the impetus to concentrate on harvesting in favour of more natural driving, at the cost of outright performance.
• Slipstreaming will be more pertinent than ever, offering both an aerodynamic benefit and a chance to save vital battery energy. However, drivers latching on to slipstreams could find themselves entering deployment and harvesting modes at different times, creating rapidly changing speed deltas. Lindblad downplayed the risk: "I don't think there's going to be much speed delta because no one's going to have any power."
• Oscar Piastri noted the paradox: "In our sim running, I think we were actually quicker on the front straight in Hungary than we were here, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's more we just don't have the energy to spend." He believes the direction is correct, despite the limitations.
• Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack admitted: "Monza is a bit of a new game this year that we need to learn how to handle... what we know about Monza is not necessarily true anymore."

What's next:

Expect 'yo-yo racing' on Sunday as drivers deploy energy at different points around the track. It's impossible to hold enough energy to defend down the straights into the four main braking points, meaning a driver using energy in the first sector to pass will struggle to keep position later. Battles are likely to be protracted, if superficial. Max Verstappen summed it up: "It's pretty painful... just very energy inefficient. But I also don't want to be too negative about it all. It is what it is. I accepted it mentally."

With a timeline for these power units' demise already outlined, the Temple of Speed is set to be anything but for the next few years. For now, the sport must adapt to a new, slower reality at Monza.