Lando Norris Leads at Monza for Round 13 of F1 2026

Monza sets the stage for Round 13 of the 2026 Formula 1 season, and it arrives with the sport’s momentum swinging sharply towards one man in papaya.

Lando Norris, fresh from a chaotic and emotional farewell to the Dutch Grand Prix, rolls into Ferrari’s backyard as the form driver on the grid. He survived the mayhem at Zandvoort to claim back-to-back victories, stamping his authority on the restart to the season after the summer break and turning what once looked like an outside title tilt into something far more serious.

McLaren moved quickly to lock that future in. Norris has signed a new deal that ties him to the team until the end of 2030, a statement of faith on both sides that this partnership is built for the long haul, not just a purple patch.

The podium in the Netherlands underlined the shifting power dynamic. Norris stood on the top step, but the bigger picture belonged to Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli chased him home in second and quietly tightened his grip on the drivers’ championship. With George Russell taking third, Antonelli’s advantage over his team-mate stretched to 59 points, a sizeable cushion as the season heads into its decisive phase.

Ferrari, on home soil at Monza, will feel that sting. Lewis Hamilton reached the rostrum at Zandvoort alongside the Mercedes pair, yet the scarlet cars arrive at their temple of speed chasing, not leading, the narrative.

On Sunday, the lights go out for 53 laps around Monza at 14:00 BST. Norris in form, Antonelli in control, Ferrari under pressure. The old cathedral is about to decide whose story gets louder.