Ferrari exploited their Pirelli F1 tyre tests to trial Lewis Hamilton’s ‘winning weapon’ for Monza

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Ferrari have helped Pirelli prepare for the 2026 F1 regulations, but the Scuderia also took advantage of the tyre tests to prepare for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The 2026 F1 season will deliver the biggest overhaul of the series’ technical regulations with different engine and chassis rules, plus active aerodynamics. Pirelli are having to design new tyres that are 25mm and 30mm narrower at the front and rear to manage next term’s loads.

Several teams have also helped Pirelli prepare for F1’s 2026 regulations by taking part in the tests with mule cars designed to simulate the loads of next year’s cars. Ferrari took part in a wet tyre test at their Fiorano circuit in June and a dry tyre test at the Hungaroring in August.

Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron set the fastest lap of Pirelli’s 2026 F1 tyre test in Hungary, as the 21-year-old set a 1:18.789. McLaren’s Lando Norris (1:19.272), Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson (1:19.510) and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (1:19.407) also trialled the 2026 C3, C4 and C5 tyres.

Ferrari used Pirelli’s 2026 F1 tyre tests to trial a low-downforce rear wing for the Italian Grand Prix

Pirelli’s 2026 F1 tyre test, which followed the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, also gave Ferrari a chance to prepare for this weekend’s 2025 Italian GP. The Scuderia head home to Monza as the only one of F1’s top four teams yet to secure a Grand Prix victory in the 2025 campaign.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and tyre regulations

According to Motorsport.com, Ferrari exploited Pirelli’s 2026 F1 tyre test in Hungary and the wet tyre test at Fiorano to trial a low-downforce rear wing that they hope will be a ‘winning weapon’ at Monza. The rear wing has a flat main profile and a mobile flap with a low chord.

Ferrari’s technical director Loic Serra, who followed Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes, believes the wing can be ‘decisive’ at Monza as they got ‘important’ data from Pirelli’s tyre tests. The wing was designed to simulate the 20% reduction in downforce due to the 2026 regulations.

Leclerc sampled Ferrari’s low-load rear wing during the second day of Pirelli’s 2026 tyre test in Hungary. But Hamilton will only sample the low-downforce rear wing when he hits Monza for the first time as a Ferrari Formula 1 driver in FP1 at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix on Friday.

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton must serve a grid penalty in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Serra’s optimism about the low-downforce rear wing is also fuelling Ferrari’s confidence that they can challenge McLaren at Monza, despite going to the Italian GP on the back of Leclerc and Hamilton both retiring from the Dutch Grand Prix after their crashes at Turn 3 last week.

READ MORE: The most successful F1 drivers at the Italian Grand Prix of all time at Monza

Additionally, Hamilton must serve a five-place grid penalty in the Italian GP after he failed to slow for double-waved yellow flags exiting the last corner at Zandvoort before the Dutch GP. The Briton was practising attacking the pit entrance, but personnel were already on the grid.

Hamilton’s penalty will harm his chances of handing Ferrari their first win of 2025 on home soil at Monza. The Scuderia are also chasing back-to-back home wins for the first time since 2002, 2003 and 2004 after Leclerc won the 2024 Italian GP on a superb one-stop strategy.

Leclerc’s victory was his second win at Monza for the Scuderia, as he also won the Italian GP in 2019. But Rubens Barrichello (2002, ‘04) and Michael Schumacher (2003) handed Ferrari their most recent run of sustained Italian GP success at Monza, now over two decades ago.