Extreme weather forecast expected for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is scheduled for the weekend of September 4 to 6. It is the first of the Italy–Madrid double header being organized at the tail end of summer. Still, these final two races in Europe look set to present perhaps the toughest conditions of the season.

On Friday, September 4, the first and second free practice sessions will take place at Monza, where forecasts predict 33 degrees Celsius. The track temperature will logically be much higher during these sessions.

The chance of rain is minimal - Weather.com estimates it at 2%. Wind won’t be much of a factor all weekend either, with gusts reaching a maximum of 8 km/h. However, the wind direction will shift over the weekend: southeast on Friday and Sunday, and southwest on Saturday.

It will get a bit warmer during qualifying for the F1 Italian Grand Prix. On Saturday, September 5, temperatures could reportedly reach 34 degrees Celsius during the day - levels seen this season only during the race weekend in Austria.

Anyone hoping for cooler conditions on Sunday will be disappointed. For race day on Sunday, September 6, the forecast still calls for a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius.

While such temperatures would normally lead to heavy tire degradation, that remains very much in question at the circuit near Milan. Tire wear is minimal at Monza, so even much higher temperatures typically won’t result in a race with significantly more pit stops than the single stop that is customary during the Italian GP.