Leclerc Aims for Victory with Ferrari's New Power Unit at Monza

Charles Leclerc is heading into Monza with the same glint in his eye that once turned the Temple of Speed into his personal stage. This time, he has something new under his right foot – and he knows exactly what it needs to deliver.

Ferrari will roll out an upgraded power unit for their home race, the latest step in their 2026 ‘ADUO’ (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) programme, and both Leclerc and team mate Lewis Hamilton believe it could bring them into the fight for victory in front of the Tifosi.

Hamilton set the tone earlier in the day by talking openly about going for the win. Leclerc did nothing to cool expectations.

“It will have a bit more power, which is always a good thing,” he said when asked about the engine update. “How much more power? Only time will tell.”

Power alone will not be enough. Leclerc knows that as well as anyone.

He has already etched his name into Monza folklore twice in Ferrari red, with those emotionally charged wins in 2019 and 2024, and he admitted those weekends still sit alongside his 2024 Monaco triumph as the defining moments of his career. Now he is chasing a third Monza victory, in a season where Ferrari have already tasted success with Hamilton in Barcelona and Leclerc himself at Silverstone.

But beneath the optimism, there is realism. Ferrari’s engine has been a weakness all year, and Monza is the most unforgiving place for a power deficit.

“We are against very tough competition and the engine is definitely our weak part,” Leclerc admitted. “To do a step forward will help us close a little bit the gap to the guys in front.”

Monza’s long straights and low-downforce demands strip a car down to its fundamentals. You cannot hide here. If you lack horsepower, it shows. If your execution is sloppy, it costs you.

Leclerc is under no illusions about what it will take.

“On a track like this, we expect to have a bit of a harder time because it’s lots of straight lines and we know that this is a bit of a weak point compared to our competitors so far, but I’m still optimistic,” he said.

The blueprint, in his mind, has already been written. Silverstone and Spa were not supposed to suit Ferrari either, yet both weekends turned into quietly impressive performances.

“Silverstone and Spa weren’t meant to be positive for us and we had a good weekend, but by having a perfect execution. We need to target that here.”

Perfect execution. No safety net. No margin.

That even extends to how Ferrari may approach the weekend strategically. Monza is one of the few circuits where teams can afford to trade a little qualifying sharpness for stronger race pace, and Leclerc hinted that Ferrari might be willing to walk that line – but only if the car itself takes a step.

“If there’s one track we can afford to maybe compromise a little bit Qualifying compared to the race, it’s this one,” he said. “However, our job is to make the car faster, and that will be beneficial for Qualifying and the race.”

New engine. New parts. Old pressure.

“We have a new engine, we have new parts on the car, and I hope that helps us to put the others under a bit more pressure,” Leclerc added.

Monza pressure is different. It comes not just from the garage, but from the grandstands, from the sea of red flags and flares, from the expectation that when Ferrari race at home, they do not simply compete – they inspire.

For Leclerc, that connection runs deeper than a race-week ritual.

“Italy has always been very special for me. I kind of grew up here through my karting career, I was very much living with my mechanics here, and so I have a very special connection with Italy and the people,” he said.

“To be racing with Ferrari in Italy is already a special experience, but even more so for me. I just really hope we can convert all that positive excitement into a victory on Sunday.”

The tools are upgraded. The stakes are familiar. Now Monza waits to see whether Ferrari’s new power unit can turn emotion and hope into something far more tangible: a third Leclerc win at the Temple of Speed, and a fresh roar for the Tifosi.