A mix of good and bad news awaits in today's Roundtable F1 daily roundup.
Just one more day before we finally go lights out at Monza (practice session, of course). The Tifosi can't wait, and who could blame them? The Prancing Horse might have a surprise, although we still need to see it on the track first.
Ferrari confirms engine upgrade for Monza
Along with the aesthetics of their new one-off livery, Ferrari is bringing the heat to the performance side of their car. Per team principal Fred Vasseur, the SF26 will have another engine upgrade in their home race at Monza. This is their second power unit development as part of their allowed allocation under the new Additional Development and Update Opportunities (ADUO) program.
Lewis Hamilton believes that compared to their 2025 Monza performance, Ferrari has a better chance of competing against their top rivals this year. Let's see if he and Charles Leclerc can put on a show in front of their home fans.
Hadjar to sit out for the second straight weekend
Unfortunately for Red Bull Racing driver Isack Hadjar, he will miss the Italian Grand Prix due to his wrist injury. The Frenchman will miss his second straight race, having sat out the Dutch Grand Prix.
This means that Liam Lawson will continue to race for Red Bull, while reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda keeps his seat at Racing Bulls for now. Both drivers impressed in Zandvoort, with Lawson finishing P7 and Tsunoda crossing the line ahead of his teammate Arvid Lindblad. Despite Hadjar's absence, Red Bull remains confident in their drivers.
Lando Norris's new racing team
We also have some fun off-track news to share. Reigning F1 World Champion Lando Norris has co-founded LN4 Fusion, a new single-seater organization designed to help young drivers climb the motorsport ladder. The organization will also launch the LN4 Legacy program, which will provide financial, coaching, and career-development support.
In the foreseeable future, LN4 Fusion is planning to compete in the Italian F4, Formula Regional European Championship, and FIA F3.
A four-time World Champion will miss FP1
Max Verstappen is giving way to Ayumu Iwasa, but just for the first practice session at Monza. Iwasa currently competes for Team Mugen in the Super Formula Championship, and is a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
Red Bull is giving Iwasa the keys to meet the requirement that every team field a rookie driver in practice sessions four times during the season.
Bottas gives Cadillac a reality check
Ahead of Monza, seasoned driver Valtteri Bottas said Cadillac needs to stop being happy just to be competing in Formula One. Instead, the team should be focused on closing the gap to the midfield. Through 12 races, Cadillac remains without a point this season.
The American outfit did make a big change, replacing team principal Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski. Let's see if Budkowski can help deliver Cadillac their first F1 points.
