Monza 2026: When F1 turns into oval-style slipstream racing – the energy yo-yo fight and Antonelli’s lesson

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza may not be remembered as a pure speed festival. It will be remembered as the race where Formula 1 looked most like a slipstreaming oval event. The concept called yo-yo racing – overtaking with electric power and then losing the place when the battery runs out – reached its most extreme version across 53 laps. Max Verstappen and George Russell formed the most obvious pair. Verstappen did not have enough power unit performance to fight Mercedes for the win, but the Monza tow and the 2026 energy rules allowed him to stay close. Once he passed Russell, though, he became the target. Russell could use the overtake mode on the next straight and take the place back. Verstappen said it felt like being a turtle with cars driving past, and that defending was almost impossible once another driver could hang in the slipstream. Kimi Antonelli was the exception. From 19th on the grid, he moved through the pack and completed a stunning comeback victory. While Russell could not break away from Verstappen, Antonelli kept moving from group to group. Toto Wolff praised his ability to slice through traffic and said a driver and car working as one become unstoppable. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explained the new issue: a faster car can struggle to pull away from a slower car because the car behind can use the boost to defend, creating a difference of up to half a second per lap. Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur added that attacking and defending both drained the battery, leaving his team unable to make progress stick. The race represented a structural shift in F1. Slipstream, energy deployment and strategy became more important than pure pace. While it produced frequent overtakes and close packs, it also created a worrying pattern where faster cars could not prove their speed unless they started ahead. Monza 2026 may be remembered as the defining race of the new regulations – for better or worse.