2026 F1 Italian GP Schedule– The 2026 Formula 1 season has now arrived at Monza, one of Europe’s most iconic racing venues. The 2026 Italian Grand Prix will run from September 4th to 6th, marking Round 13 of the season.
Ferrari’s home race will also be the focus of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who begins the weekend with a major grid penalty at his home Grand Prix.
Good news for Indian F1 fans is that practice, qualifying, and race timings are aligned with the usual European schedule for the weekend. The main race will begin on Sunday, September 6th, at 6:30 PM IST.
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2026 F1 Italian GP Schedule in IST
The Monza weekend’s F1 schedule begins on Friday. Drivers will get two practice sessions on the first day, while qualifying will take place after the final practice on Saturday.
| Date | Day | Session | India Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 4 | Friday | Free Practice 1 | 4:00 PM |
| September 4 | Friday | Free Practice 2 | 7:30 PM |
| September 5 | Saturday | Free Practice 3 | 4:00 PM |
| September 5 | Saturday | Qualifying | 7:30 PM |
| September 6 | Sunday | Italian GP Race | 6:30 PM |
According to the official F1 schedule, FP1 at Monza will be held on Friday at 12:30 PM local time, FP2 at 4:00 PM, FP3 at 12:30 PM on Saturday, and qualifying at 4:00 PM. The main race on Sunday will begin at 3:00 PM local time.
A Complete Look at Kimi Antonelli
The most interesting storyline of the 2026 Italian GP involves championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver currently leads the championship by 59 points over George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
But the race at Monza will not be straightforward for Antonelli. After a power-unit change, he will have to start from the rear of the grid. This means he will need to deliver a strong recovery drive to maintain his championship lead.
This race is even more special for Antonelli, as he is the first Italian driver in 73 years to arrive as championship leader at his home Italian GP.
Ferrari’s Strong Start at Home Race
Ferrari has had a very positive start to the Monza weekend. In Friday’s FP1 session, Charles Leclerc finished P1 with the fastest lap of 1:23.008, while Lewis Hamilton finished P2, a gap of 0.173 seconds.
George Russell finished P3, while Liam Lawson finished fourth and Kimi Antonelli fifth. Lando Norris finished sixth in FP1. Ferrari gave their home crowd an early boost with a one-two finish in the session.
Ferrari is also introducing an engine upgrade this weekend, so it will be interesting to see the team’s straight-line performance in qualifying and the race.
Liam Lawson at Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls
Red Bull has once again named Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate for Monza. Isak Hadjar is recovering from a wrist injury, so he will miss the Italian GP.
Lawson finished seventh for Red Bull at the Dutch GP and will now have another opportunity at Monza. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda will continue alongside Arvid Lindblad for Racing Bulls.
Why is the Monza Circuit so special?
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is considered one of Formula 1’s most historic and high-speed circuits. The track is 5.793 km long, and the Italian GP race will be completed in 53 laps, making the total race distance 306.720 km.
A large portion of laps at Monza are completed at full throttle, so engine power, low-drag aerodynamic setup, and straight-line speed are particularly important.
The circuit has been a part of the championship since the inaugural F1 season in 1950, and for Ferrari’s passionate Tifosi, it is one of the most important weekends on the calendar.
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F2 Italian GP 2026 Schedule: Full IST Timings
Formula 2 action will also be seen at Monza alongside F1. The F2 schedule is also quite convenient for Indian fans.
| Date | Session | IST |
|---|---|---|
| September 4 | F2 Practice | 1:30 PM |
| September 4 | F2 Qualifying | 6:25 PM |
| September 5 | F2 Sprint Race | 5:45 PM |
| September 6 | F2 Feature Race | 1:15 PM |
India’s Kush Maini will also be in focus. He arrives at Monza after a second-place finish in Hungary before the summer break and is currently fifth in the championship standings.
WEC 6 Hours of COTA Also This Weekend
Motorsport fans aren’t limited to Monza. The FIA World Endurance Championship is also returning this weekend for the Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in the United States.
The 6 Hours of COTA race will begin on Sunday, September 6, at 11:30 PM IST. The first qualifying sessions will take place early Sunday morning, India time.
2026 Italian GP Live Streaming in India
2026 F1 Italian GP Schedule- sessions in India can be live streamed on the FanCode and F1 TV apps. F1’s official live timing will also be available on F1.com and the F1 app.
The biggest question this weekend will be how many positions Kimi Antonelli can recover from the rear of the grid, and whether Ferrari can convert a strong qualifying and race performance into a victory challenge at their home circuit.
Monza’s high-speed nature, Ferrari’s home advantage, Antonelli’s grid penalty, and the championship fight have made the 2026 Italian GP weekend one of the most-watchable weekends of the season.
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Raj Prajapati is a Senior Automotive Content Writer at AutoIndiaDaily. A B.Tech graduate in Computer Science and Engineering, he leverages over four years of experience covering Indian car and bike launches, EV tech, and market dynamics to break down complex automotive regulations into simple consumer guides. Specialising in Indian motor vehicle laws, IRDAI updates, and ownership costs, Raj translates technical auto policies into actionable advice for everyday drivers.