Thursday was a busy day in Formula 1 before the start of activities for the Italian Grand Prix. Rafael Câmara returned to the center of the driver market after Haas admitted it had not yet decided its pairing for 2027, while teams approved a 5% reduction in race distance for the upcoming season and Kimi Antonelli revealed that he could help George Russell in qualifying at Monza.
Câmara is vying for the spot today held by Esteban Ocon, alongside Leonardo Fornaroli and Ryo Hirakawa. Ayao Komatsu stated that a decision is not imminent, but acknowledged that the team has progressed in recent weeks. The three took part in testing with the VF-25 in Portimão, and information from GE indicates that the Brazilian came closest to Oliver Bearman’s benchmark, although rain hampered part of the comparison.
Outside the driver market, a significant change for 2027 gained momentum. According to AutoRacer, teams voted unanimously to reduce the standard race distance by 5%, from 305 to around 290 kilometers, with Monaco exempt. The measure is tied to discussions about increasing the share of combustion engine usage, avoiding the need for larger tanks and major car modifications due to higher consumption.
In Mercedes, Antonelli arrives at the home race knowing he will start from the back of the grid due to a power unit-related penalty. Consequently, the championship leader confirmed that he has already spoken with the team about helping Russell during qualifying, even offering a tow to his teammate if necessary. “If the team asks me to do that, I will,” the Italian said.
Ferrari also outlined part of its plan for Saturday. Charles Leclerc confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will have priority in choosing position to gain tow during qualifying, following a rotating system between the two drivers. The decision does not mean Leclerc will sacrifice his own session, but the team intends to coordinate the cars to try to place both in the best possible position.
McLaren comes into Monza riding a wave of two consecutive wins by Lando Norris, but the Briton warned about Monza. He highlighted the chicanes and low-speed corners as the car’s current main weakness and admitted there is little room for an immediate fix, with the team possibly sacrificing some top-end performance to try to improve in those areas. Norris sits 83 points behind Antonelli in the standings.
Max Verstappen, for his part, arrived in good health after recovering from the illness that affected him throughout the Netherlands GP weekend. The Red Bull driver said he still felt the effects for a few days after Zandvoort, but is now fully fit for Monza, though he admitted not knowing how competitive the RB22 will be at the Italian round.
The Formula 1 World Championship returns to the track this Friday, the 4th, with the first two free practice sessions for the Italian GP. The race takes place on Sunday, the 6th, in Monza.
