#1155 2026 Monaco Grand Prix

On Sunday, June 7, the Monaco Grand Prix - the sixth race of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship season - will take place at the Monte Carlo circuit in the Principality of Monaco. Lewis Hamilton has confessed that he is refusing to listen to any of the hype surrounding Ferrari’s chances at the Monaco Grand Prix, insisting that he is prioritising building on the lessons from previous rounds. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who has won four of this season’s five Grands Prix so far, recently labelled the Scuderia the team to beat due to the reduced focus on power at the Circuit de Monaco, which features some of the slowest corners on the calendar. Hamilton himself admitted that he thinks their performance will be strong, but was eager to manage expectations after finishing second in the Canadian Grand Prix, which marked another improvement for Ferrari in their mission to catch up to the Silver Arrows. Asked for his thoughts about people tipping the team as favourites in Monaco, he says: 

"I'm not listening to any of the hype. I'm just trying to take the learnings from each weekend and try to move forwards. I think really that's what we're focused on this weekend. There are no certainties in F1. The podium in Canada didn't leave us with any certainties. There were things that we learnt, things that we can do better and things we try to take the positives and move them forwards".

The Briton is no stranger to success on the streets of Monte Carlo, having won there on three occasions throughout his years with McLaren and Mercedes - 2008, 2016 and 2019 - but his first time in Monaco with Ferrari was one to forget. After qualifying fourth last season, he was penalised for impeding Max Verstappen and fought to recover positions on race day, eventually settling for fifth before branding his day miserable while his team mate Charles Leclerc finished on the podium. Reflecting on how his situation has changed compared to 2025, Hamilton says:

"I think it's a lot different this whole year. A lot of pawns have moved, managed to move a lot of things on the chessboard and reposition myself within the team. We're working really well together. I've got the right engineers that I need now. They're doing a great job and I feel like I've obviously had input in this year's car and it's moving in the direction that I particularly like. These things take time and I'm grateful that we are where we are but we've got a lot of work going forwards. I think it's not a given that we're going to be competitive everywhere we go".

George Russell feels that he has nothing to lose in the championship fight after losing ground to team mate Kimi Antonelli last time out in Canada, with the Briton confident that things always balance themselves out during the season. Off the back of winning Saturday’s Sprint in Montreal, Russell led from pole in Sunday’s Grand Prix before a power unit issue forced him to retire on Lap 30 of 68. Antonelli went on to take victory, allowing the Italian to stretch out his lead in the standings to 43 points over Russell. Reflecting back on the weekend at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Russell conceded that there were a lot of emotions in the moment but that he is now focused on continuing his good form going forward.

"It's just racing, that's how it goes. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you. Over the course of a season, usually these things balance themselves out and if I can continue qualifying on pole, fighting for wins and leading races, then the tide will turn so I'm not too concerned. Of course, I would have loved to have won the race and continued to fight with Kimi, but here we are and we've still got 17 races to go".

Pushed on the idea that he now has nothing to lose - and that there is a good chance that he will experience better luck again soon - Russell respond:

"These things always balance themselves out at one point and, as you say, I've got nothing to lose. I'm just going to go out and enjoy every race. It's still in my control. If you pole and win every single race from now until the end of the season, you'll win the championship. That is my goal. Of course, it was frustrating in Canada but that's part of racing. It can't always be sunshine and glory".

Russell added that the title is still anybody’s to win, and suggested that there have been numerous cases in years gone by of the driver who eventually wins the championship experiencing difficult moments during the season.

"When I've looked at it and looked over championships in the past, I don't think there's ever been a season where the winner hasn't had some form of bad luck at one point. Even Lando last year broke down in Zandvoort and was disqualified in Las Vegas. There have been other drivers in other seasons - Max in 2021, his tyre blew out in Azerbaijan. There's always something at some point that goes against you as a driver. I've had it once or twice already this season. Maybe that's the last of it and it all swings around, but there's plenty of opportunities remaining and I'm just feeling good that I ticked every box possible in Canada. I did everything that I could have and, if I continue like that, all to play for".

Looking ahead to how Mercedes might fare at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, Russell echoed Antonelli’s recent suggestion that Ferrari will be the team to beat on the streets of Monte Carlo.

"It's clear a big part of our advantage compared to Ferrari has been in the power unit, and in Monaco, because there are not many straights, the power unit advantage is substantially less. We know Charles especially but Ferrari [as a team] have always been very strong here. We expect them to be probably the fastest this weekend, but I hope I'm wrong. I still believe we have the best car, but Monaco has always been a strong circuit for Ferrari and maybe not so strong for Mercedes. I remember in 2021, Leclerc was on pole when the car was not so strong, and also in 2024 and 2025 he was on the front row. We’ll be in the fight, but it won’t be as smooth sailing as the last races".

Kimi Antonelli insists he is not thinking about the championship ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, despite arriving in the Principality with a sizeable points advantage over Mercedes team mate George Russell. Antonelli has won the last four Grands Prix - in China, Japan, Miami and Canada - to build a 43-point gap back to Russell, whose title hopes were dented by a retirement while the Silver Arrows squabbled for the lead at Montreal. As the paddock reconvened in Monte Carlo, Antonelli understandably fielded plenty of questions over the title race situation, his confidence levels and the approach he is taking on and off the track.

"It’s a great moment I’m living, but now we’re fully focused on Monaco. It’s going to be a big challenge and I’m just going to try to keep delivering the best result and drive as fast as I can. I’m not thinking about the championship or anything like that. I just think about enjoying the driving as much as I can, try to do my best, try to improve, raise the bar, and we’ll see where we end up. I really want to enjoy every weekend as much as possible. I want to leave the weekend and say: I did everything I could’, so that’s what I’m going to do".

Asked how he is keeping a level head, the 19-year-old Italian continues: 

"When you have such a boom of success or everything that has happened to me, it’s really important to remind yourself to stay grounded, and don’t get carried away, because it’s really easy to start flying high and lose sight and focus of the ultimate goal. I have to be honest, I’m very lucky to have such a family and such a team who support and guide me and keep me grounded. By now I know very well that the season is still very long and it’s going to be difficult. George is very strong, but as well the other teams are going to catch up and close the gap. I know that I will have to excel and raise the bar. Nothing is going to come easy, so I definitely have to work for it".

Antonelli also shared some more thoughts on how he plans to race his rivals moving forward, after engaging in fierce wheel-to-wheel battles with Russell in the Sprint and Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

"I’m not the kind of guy who backs down. Whenever I get an opportunity, I will go for it. I think in Canada, it was a really good battle with George, but it also showed that no matter the position I am in the championship, I’m going to go for it. There will be times when I will probably need to think a bit more about how I go racing, and probably on some occasions I will have to be satisfied with the position I have, but at the moment I’m just going for it. Of course, I’m learning how to manage this aggression as well, because I cannot just go all out and go for it 100% and see what happens. I want to still race hard, but smart".

Lando Norris has spoken of his pride at becoming the driver to achieve the most starts for McLaren, with the Briton hoping to continue on the team’s journey for many more years as they prepare to mark their 1000th Grand Prix in Formula 1. Ahead of the squad’s milestone weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix, Norris was quizzed during Thursday’s media day on how proud he feels to have recorded more race starts with the papaya outfit than any other driver, having notched up a tally of 156 to beat previous record-holder David Coulthard’s total of 150.

"Very. My dream was to be in F1 in the beginning, it was to be with McLaren. I don't think at any point I ever thought I'd be the driver in McLaren with the most race starts for them - that's a pretty awesome stat to think of. To be honest, normally I hate stats in general and I hate when people say them, but this is one that I'm just proud of, for sure. It's not like a performance stat, it's more like a general one, and that's something, just to see my name alongside so many greats. I know one championship is pretty amazing, but a lot of others and a lot of the people that everyone knows and remembers achieved a lot more, and I certainly want to get to the level that they did, but for my name to be amongst some incredible drivers in the past is an amazing thing. For me to play a small part in helping McLaren go from where they were a few years ago - which is where no one wants to see McLaren - to where we are now has been an incredible journey that I've been very lucky to be part of. I'm a lucky boy, and I'll be here for many more years at the same time, trying to keep McLaren in the position that they are now, which is winning Constructors' Championships, winning championships for drivers. I know how lucky I've been to be part of that journey, and I hope that it continues for many more years".

As Norris touched on, McLaren have embarked on a resurgence during his time with the outfit that has seen them claim back-to-back Teams’ Championships in 2024 and 2025, as well as bringing Norris his maiden Drivers’ title last season. This run of success also saw him claim a debut Monaco Grand Prix victory 12 months ago. While the 26-year-old is not feeling quite as confident of repeating the feat this time around, he admits that there are also reasons for the team to have confidence for their 1000th race.

"I think our run into this weekend this time last year was probably a little bit better than we’ve had this year, so maybe [the confidence is] not quite to the level it was last season, but I think we're optimistic. We still want to come in with hopes of trying to achieve a pole and trying to achieve a win - they are still the goals we want to set ourselves. But Ferrari and Mercedes have obviously been very strong, Mercedes even more so. So we won’t get ahead of ourselves - we don't want to be too optimistic, but at the same time I think we've given ourselves the chance to come into weekends with the belief that it's possible, and that's the way we want to stay for now".

Norris also acknowledged that it is tough to say whether the streets of Monte Carlo will suit the characteristics of the McLaren MCL40. 

"We were closer to pole this year in Montreal than we were last time in Montreal when we had a more dominant car. We went on to win in a similar characteristic of track, a slow-speed, slow-grip track that we have here. So when you just think of those things, it kind of gives us confidence; when you think of various other things like just our general performance this year, less so. But we also know where we stand compared to the other cars - where they're fast, where they're not. It's true that the Ferraris are not the quickest in the straights, but that's also because they have a lot of downforce and a lot of drag. So it's kind of their own punishment they give themselves, which gives them some advantage, and that advantage will definitely show this weekend".

Max Verstappen has outlined the areas where Red Bull need to improve in order to replicate their past success at the Monaco Grand Prix, admitting that he doesn’t know how the car is going to feel tomorrow. The team took a significant step forward last time out in Canada as Verstappen secured his first podium of the season, taking advantage of problems for his rivals at McLaren and Mercedes to finish P3 behind winner Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. While the Dutchman claimed that he felt they were closer than ever to the frontrunners, the RB22 still suffered issues with bouncing and drivability that took the team the majority of the weekend to solve. Looking ahead to Monaco and whether Red Bull had any chance of repeating their podium success of previous years, Verstappen said: “It will depend on a lot of things, but I don't know how the car is going to feel tomorrow.

"Monaco can always give you some surprises, but realistically, from my side, we've been okay in the low-speed but at the same time, here, you need to be good on the bumps and the kerbs, which is where we're not that great. We'll have to see how it will evolve throughout the weekend".

The narrow streets of Monaco mean that drivers are often punished for the smallest of mistakes, making confidence and trust in the car crucial as they prepare during Free Practice before pushing to the limit in Qualifying. Verstappen recognised that their recent car troubles mean that Red Bull have plenty to work on, but the unique nature of the track could hide the lack of performance they’ve found under high speeds.

"You want to improve in every area. You want more grip, you want more power, you want better braking efficiency, you want the tyres to operate in a better window, so in that sense, you want to be better everywhere. I think, looking at Montreal, we're definitely lacking in the straights, but also in the corners. I think the ride, or in general on the bumps, we were not the best, and, of course, high-speed corners in other places. Now, here there are no high-speed corners, but normally that has not been our biggest strength yet".

He was also quizzed on how the dynamics in the team have changed after internal reshuffles last season, which included Laurent Mekies being appointed Team Principal over the summer.

"The feeling is good in the team. Everyone is working well together and we're all heading in the same direction, so everyone knows what they have to do and what we want to achieve".

On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Ferrari have announced a new multi-year agreement with Charles Leclerc that will see the Monegasque race in red for the coming seasons. Leclerc joined the Scuderia for the 2019 campaign after stepping up to F1 in 2018 with Sauber, which followed Formula 2 title success in 2017. Over his years with Ferrari, Leclerc has given the Tifosi plenty to celebrate - including famous Monza victories in 2019 and 2024 as well as an emotional home win in Monaco in 2024 - and he is second on the leaderboard for most appearances with the team, behind Michael Schumacher. The new deal marks the latest chapter in a decade-long relationship between the team and Leclerc, with the 28-year-old joining the driver academy back in 2016, and also emphasises the faith the Monegasque has in one day bringing a World Championship back to Maranello in the near future.

"I couldn’t be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP. It has always been so much more than just a team to me. It’s the team I’ve loved and dreamt of being part of since I was a child, and after all these years it has become a second family. Together we’ve shared incredible moments and some tougher ones, but I believe in this team more than ever, and I’m deeply grateful that we will keep pushing side by side toward our shared goal of bringing the World Championship back to Maranello. Being a Ferrari driver is a dream, but it’s also a responsibility I never take for granted. I’ll continue to give absolutely everything I have to bring this team back to where it belongs, at the very top, for everyone in Maranello, and above all for the tifosi, whose passion is the heartbeat of this Scuderia".

Ferrari Team Principal, Fred Vasseur, added: "Charles has been part of the Ferrari family for many years now and this renewal feels like something very natural for us.

"Over these seasons we have seen him grow, to become not only one of the strongest drivers in Formula 1, but also a person who is completely at one with the team and everything Ferrari represents. We appreciate his talent, we love his determination and the way he approaches every day with the people in the Scuderia, both on and off the track. We know how much this project means to him and we are happy to continue working towards our shared goals".

The confirmation of Leclerc's new deal comes ahead of the 28-year-old's home race this weekend in Monaco, with Ferrari expected to perform strongly despite Mercedes taking victory in every Grand Prix so far this year. Ferrari have performed well in the Principality over recent years, with their car handling the low-speed bends and bumps of the street circuit, while the lack of flat-out running should play into their hands given there will be less lap time reward to the Mercedes power unit. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli also namechecked Ferrari as the team to beat in the Principality, with the Italian expecting Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to challenge at the sharp end. All of that will give Ferrari and Leclerc hope that they could repeat what they did back in 2024, and that would act as the perfect antidote to the recent Canadian Grand Prix weekend, which Leclerc called the most difficult weekend of his career.

With the iconic Monte Carlo kicking off the European leg of the season, much of the field appears keen to get going as a queue forms in the pit lane prior to the local start time of 1:30 p.m.. Cadillac’s Sergio Perez - a Monaco winner back in 2022 - heads the pack for the initial laps of the circuit, with all of the cars sporting the hard tyre. Home favourite Leclerc is also out on track early, days on from the announcement that he has signed a new multi-year deal with Ferrari. But the session does not get off to the smoothest start for the Monegasque, who suffers a lock-up and goes straight on at Mirabeau as a result, before reversing and continuing his lap. There are also complaints from the Racing Bulls pair of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, both reporting a lack of steering around the hairpin. Meanwhile, once most of the grid sets a timed lap, Lewis Hamilton sets the early pace on a 1m 15.617s, just under three tenths clear of Max Verstappen while the other Red Bull of Isack Hadjar slots into third. Hadjar is subsequently displaced by Lando Norris, the Briton - who took his first Monaco victory at last year’s event - looking for a good outing on the weekend of McLaren’s 1000th race in Formula 1. Over at Haas, there looks to be a moment of tension between Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman, with the former seemingly feeling that his teammate has backed up too much while Bearman also complains about Ocon’s actions. On the timesheets, Leclerc climbs to the top on a 1m 14.928s, a sizeable 0.508s clear of championship leader Kimi Antonelli - but Hamilton is still looking quick and soon moves ahead of Antonelli, the seven-time World Champion having won at Monaco on three occasions in the past. Moments later, there is a lock-up for Hamilton that sees him run off the track at Sainte Devote, the Briton subsequently returning to the pits. Meanwhile, the likes of Antonelli and George Russell - sitting in third and ninth respectively - switch to the medium tyres as the session reaches its halfway point. As the McLarens and others start to follow suit by bolting on the C4 compound - and Antonelli moves up to the P1 slot - Norris pulls off a good save after a bit of a moment on his lap. Hadjar, however, is not so lucky as the Frenchman hits the barriers at the Swimming Pool chicane, bringing out the red flags. 

Fortunately, the Red Bull racer reports that he is okay before making his way back to the team garage, while the marshals work to clear the stricken RB22. Following a short stoppage, the action resumes with just over 15 minutes left on the clock. Most of the pack has now switched to the medium tyres for the final segment of the session, while Verstappen issues a complaint over the radio, asking the team to fix this release. Hamilton returns to the top spot on a 1m 14.204s - before teammate Leclerc becomes the first to dip into the 1m 13s, going fastest with his effort of 1m 13.978s. It is subsequently confirmed that an impeding incident between Leclerc and Lawson will be investigated after the session - and the trouble does not end there for Lawson, who radios in to report that he has touched the wall in the Racing Bulls machine. Lawson’s teammate Lindblad will also be investigated post-session after seemingly impeding Piastri. With just a few minutes remaining, the red flags are thrown again due to some debris on track from Fernando Alonso’s front wing, the Aston Martin driver having clipped the barriers coming out of the tunnel. The drivers return to the circuit for the dying moments when the session resumes, but Leclerc remains in P1 on his earlier effort with a margin of 0.226s from teammate Hamilton. Verstappen places in third, with the Mercedes pair of Antonelli and Russell in fourth and fifth respectively, while Norris follows in sixth place. Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have a decent showing in seventh and ninth - the McLaren of Piastri slots in-between them in eighth - and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly completes the top 10. Isack Hadjar insisted that he’s ready to return to building his confidence for the Monaco Grand Prix after being rocked by a heavy crash during FP1, which he admitted caught me off guard. Looking to gradually find the limits around the narrow streets in Monte Carlo, Hadjar pushed slightly too hard at the second chicane of the Swimming Pool and the rear of his RB22 snapped, sending him directly into the barrier. The incident left his car with a severely damaged front wing and missing wheel, giving Red Bull a significant repair job in the few hours before FP2. Hadjar ultimately only missed a small part of the second session and ended the day in a promising P6, just over a second off Lewis Hamilton’s benchmark time.

"It was going pretty okay. Actually I think I was on good laps and gaining confidence, and it's when I gained that confidence I had that moment. It really caught me off guard - I didn’t expect to lose it here. Also it’s not a crash you often see here, losing the rear like that so I was surprised. Definitely a tough one. I tried to build the confidence back again [in FP2]. I took no risks and lap by lap, just explored a bit more. It took me a minute to get there and there’s still a lot to find but definitely felt decent towards the end so let’s see overnight what we can cook for tomorrow".

Red Bull seemed firmly in the mix as they left the worst of their bouncing issues in Canada, with Max Verstappen leading the team to P3 in both Free Practice hours on Friday at the Circuit de Monaco. With Ferrari establishing themselves as the team to beat early on, Hadjar was quizzed on whether he can continue to find more improvements and get in the fight higher up the order alongside his team mate.

"Definitely looking to fight some of the Mercedes. I think the top three are very strong and on a very good momentum, so we need a very strong FP3 to get things working and close the gap. Hopefully we make the most of it and go into Quali and keep ramping up".

When the green light switches on at the end of the pit lane at 1700 local time to kick off FP2, plenty of drivers are queued up and keen to resume their practice programmes, with confidence and rhythm being crucial factors around Monaco’s tight and twisty streets. On that note, Ferrari picks up where they left off in FP1 by going straight to the top of the times - Leclerc posting a 1m 14.240s with mediums, and Hamilton clocking a 1m 14.306s, as both drivers continue to look competitive aboard their SF-26s. A flurry of improvements follows over the next few minutes, bringing a new benchmark of 1m 13.729s from Hamilton, who no doubt raises heart rates on the Ferrari pit wall with a couple of slides through the high-speed Piscine (or Swimming Pool) section. Verstappen slots into second, a couple of tenths back, followed by Leclerc and the Mercedes machines of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell - the latter also experiencing a wild moment exiting the Swimming Pool and just about keeping his car out of the barriers. Contrasting fortunes follow for Red Bull and McLaren. 

"Thank you, boys".

Isack Hadjar says over the radio as he leaves the pits in his repaired RB22, after crashing out of FP1. Then, just moments later, Lando Norris grinds to a halt in his MCL40 at the Nouvelle Chicane. Norris’ stoppage, which leaves him on the back foot heading into McLaren’s 1000th Grand Prix weekend, brings out the Virtual Safety Car (VSC), pausing what has been a busy opening phase full of green and purple sector times. Soon after the VSC ends, Verstappen leads the transition to soft tyres and duly takes over at the top of the timing screen with a 1m 13.467s, while both Hamilton (1m 13.549s) and Leclerc (1m 13.613s) improve on mediums to sit second and third. Once the rest of the field swaps to softs, though, the Scuderia restores their 1-2 status - Hamilton pumps in a 1m 13.026s to lead Leclerc by just over a tenth, with Verstappen marginally slower. Russell follows in fourth position, having been impeded by Gabriel Bortoleto at the start of his soft tyre run, with team mate and championship leader Antonelli just behind him after reporting on the radio that:

"The car in Sector 2 is so unpredictable".

Hadjar winds up sixth as he strings together some much-needed laps in his Red Bull, followed by the sole remaining McLaren of Oscar Piastri, the high-flying Audis of Nico Hulkenberg and Bortoleto, Haas’ Ollie Bearman and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Charles Leclerc is bracing himself for a very tight fight with Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as the Monaco Grand Prix weekend develops - providing he can work his way through brake troubles. Leclerc started his home event on top by setting the pace in a disrupted first practice session, before Hamilton edged ahead in FP2 - just over one tenth separating the two Ferrari machines, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen not far behind. Speaking after hopping out of the car, Leclerc described his Friday as very difficult, explaining: 

"We’re facing quite a few issues on the brakes on my side, so we’re trying to fix those. The confidence is not at the highest level at the moment. Apart from that, it’s a track I love, and I’m sure that if we manage to fix those issues for tomorrow, it will be a good step forward. Unfortunately, it’s been since Canada that I’m struggling a little bit on that. We’re trying to find solutions, I hope we do for tomorrow, and if so I don’t doubt that we will do a step forward".

Pushed on his chances of being in the mix for pole position, Leclerc added: “Max has been very strong, Red Bull have been very strong, and Lewis has been very strong as well.

"At the end of the day, it’s not been a disastrous day. We were very close to Lewis in FP2, so I’m not so worried, but it’s going to be a tough Qualifying. For sure, it’s going to be very tight. If we do a step forward with the brakes, surely it can help us for the fight for pole".

Meanwhile, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur was keen to play down his squad’s seemingly strong start around the Principality - saying thoughts of pole or victory are a very long way off. Asked about the pre-weekend hype around Ferrari’s potential Monte Carlo performance level, he says: 

"I don’t care about this kind of approach or rumours. We have to do the job. It’s a very long way in Monaco from Friday, first to the quali, then to the race. The most difficult thing is that you have to anticipate the evolution of the track, the evolution of the grip, and you have to be always one session ahead. This is a real challenge for the team and for the drivers. It means that it’s still a long way to go, and we’ll see tomorrow evening after Qualifying about the real pace".

As for Hamilton’s improved form in recent times, Vasseur signed off: 

"For sure, it’s important, and it’s important for the competitiveness of the team. The momentum is good, but most important is that the momentum will be good tomorrow evening".

George Russell has conceded that the opening day of track action at the Monaco Grand Prix proved more challenging than we would have hoped, with the Mercedes driver having ended Friday nearly four tenths off the pace of Lewis Hamilton in the leading Ferrari. Ahead of the weekend in Monte Carlo, the Scuderia had been tipped as ones to watch by the likes of Kimi Antonelli - and it certainly appeared to be a promising Friday for the Italian outfit, as Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in Free Practice 1 before Hamilton led the way in FP2. Mercedes, meanwhile, did not appear to have the same kind of pace, with Antonelli and Russell ending the first practice hour in fourth and fifth respectively while they reversed those positions during the second session. Reflecting back on how the day had gone for the Silver Arrows, Russell admitted that the team will look to make improvements following a tougher outing than they had anticipated.

"We expected Ferrari to be the guys to beat - a lot of people thought that was just chat, but clearly they are the team to beat. I think Red Bull have also been a bit of a surprise for us. We knew out of the races so far that this was going to be our most challenging - it’s probably been slightly more challenging than we would have hoped, but we did make some good improvements from FP1 into FP2. We need to make the same step again overnight, and I don’t think we nailed it today so there is room to improve, but definitely Ferrari are the team".

Russell was 0.379s adrift of Hamilton in second practice, with Leclerc and Max Verstappen classified ahead of him. Ask if he and the team have a clear direction for what they need to do overnight in order to be in the fight for pole position on Saturday, Russell respond: 

"I’ve got to be honest, the trends that we see with Ferrari every year - here and on street tracks - and what we’ve seen today have been there for probably 10 years. I think every car has like an inherent DNA, and their inherent DNA - especially on the mechanical side of the car - learly works on these street tracks, especially when there’s a lot of warp in the corners, [where] the corner’s dropping away. We’re doing everything we can to try and make those improvements, but I do think we can close the gap. If we can overcome it, I’m not sure".

Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord gave a reasonably positive assessment of how Mercedes’ first day of running had gone, but also acknowledged that there was still work to do going forward.

"It was a solid day, I think. We got plenty of laps in, did the programme we wanted to. We were able to work through some set-up changes as well, some options on how to bring the tyres in and get them working. Kimi was probably the more comfortable of the two drivers in FP1, and then that switched around and George was much happier with the basic handling of the car, even if there’s still some work to do on the balance and how to get it around the slow corners and not have the rear coming around at the same time".

Lord also felt that the squad had a good direction for how to get both cars into the mix in Qualifying, adding: 

"I think Ferrari have obviously got to be firm favourites, and based on today’s running it’s their race to lose. They look like they have a turn of speed more than everyone else, but hopefully we can put ourselves in that battle and put ourselves in the mix - but I think we’ve got some clear things to work on".

McLaren have confirmed that an electrical problem caused Lando Norris’ stoppage during second practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, though they are yet to determine exactly what’s gone wrong. Norris’ MCL40 ground to a halt at the Nouvelle Chicane in the early stages of Friday’s FP2 session, leaving the reigning World Champion on the back foot heading into McLaren’s 1000th Grand Prix weekend. After the track action had concluded, McLaren’s Chief Technical Officer and Chief Designer, Rob Marshall, provided an update on what went wrong, and the Woking-based squad’s start to the weekend in general. On Norris’ issue, Marshall says: 

"We don’t know conclusively yet. He had an electrical problem on the car and it shut down. We’ve not had enough time to go through the data and find out exactly what’s gone wrong yet. It could be anything, but it’s electrical".

It meant Oscar Piastri was McLaren’s sole driver representative for the majority of second practice - the Australian winding up seventh on the timesheets, behind the Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes cars, and around a second off the pace.

"I think we’re confident we can make it a bit better. I think we were struggling in the initial part of the lap and then as it went through Sector 2 and 3, we started to be a bit more competitive. I think maybe that’s tyre temperature or maybe something else, but we’ve got a bit of stuff to work on, certainly, in the first half of the lap".

Piastri himself reflect:

"It felt okay, just not as speedy as we would like, unfortunately. A bit of a difficult one. I think we made a bit of progress for FP2, but we went from a second-and-a-half off to a second off. It’s been a tough day for us, for sure, so some things to find overnight, definitely. We always expected Ferrari to be quick, and they look very, very quick as well, but we were hoping we would be a fair bit closer, so let’s see what we can try and muster up for tomorrow. I think in today’s F1 there’s never anything you can do to turn the car completely upside down. We’ll try and find something, for sure, because we need to, but I don’t have any great ideas at the moment".

On Saturday morning, Ferrari released a statement saying: 

"Fred Vasseur will not be present at the circuit today. Following some medical checks, Fred will remain under observation at a local medical facility. No further medical information will be provided. We wish Fred a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back at the track soon".

Pre-weekend favourites Ferrari had a very strong start to the Monaco Grand Prix race weekend, with Charles Leclerc heading Lewis Hamilton in first practice, with the positions reversed for the second session. Speaking after practice on Friday evening, Vasseur moved to play down the impressive pace: 

"It’s a very long way in Monaco from Friday, first to the Quali, then to the race. The most difficult thing is that you have to anticipate the evolution of the track, the evolution of the grip, and you have to be always one session ahead. This is a real challenge for the team and for the drivers. It means that it’s still a long way, and we’ll see tomorrow Saturday evening about the real pace".

Shortly before the green light at 1230 local time, McLaren shares that they have completed extensive work on Lando Norris’ car after he grinds to a halt 15 minutes into Friday’s FP2, adding that the team breaks curfew to replace the wiring harness and ESME pack within the permitted allocation. It is the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton who head out on track early on, along with the Aston Martin drivers, Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, who spent FP1 struggling with lock around the tight corners. This time around, Bottas is the first to report a serious problem as smoke begins to emerge from his brakes, with the Finn limping back to the pits - his team mate Sergio Perez previously endured a brake fire that forced a red flag period in FP2, and quickly joins Bottas in adding to Cadillac’s list of issues. Things seem to be going more smoothly for Ferrari as the number of cars on track increases and Leclerc sets the first benchmark time of 1m 15.184s, but there is plenty of track evolution to come. That is soon demonstrated by Hamilton, who breaks into the 1m 14s bracket to beat the Monegasque driver’s time by seven tenths before Norris - seeking to recover the time he lost in second practice - shoots to the top of the timesheet by just 0.015s. With everyone running on the red-walled soft tyres, times continue to tumble in the opening runs. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are the next to set a new standard as they inch closer to yesterday’s fastest laps and begin to challenge the Scuderia, delivering more performance after Mercedes’ lacklustre Friday. 

Approaching the halfway mark, the yellow flags are briefly waved as Franco Colapinto spins at the hairpin and clips the barrier with the rear of his Alpine, but he is able to get going again and return to the pits. Alex Albon also makes an error that forces him to take a short trip down the escape road at Sainte Devote before the action quiets down, with the majority going back to the garages to look over their first Qualifying simulation runs. A breathless improvement for Antonelli follows, the Italian finding time in Sectors 1 and 2 to set the fastest time of the weekend so far - a magnificent 1m 12.720s. But anyone hoping to match his lap is blocked by a red flag, brought out for Ollie Bearman’s stranded Haas. The Briton suffers a massive slide at Massenet and slams into the wall, shedding debris across the circuit. The session resumes with a few minutes remaining but no one is able to get close to Antonelli as Leclerc reports that his brakes feel horrendous on his way to P2 ahead of his team mate Hamilton. Russell ends in fourth in the second Mercedes, leading Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Gabriel Bortoleto is an eye-catching P7 for Audi as they continue their streak in the top 10 in Free Practice at this circuit, with his team mate Nico Hulkenberg placing P10 behind Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris.

With 22 cars set to be on track for the 18-minute Q1 segment, a busy start to the session is anticipated - meaning that a queue of cars has already formed through the pit lane in readiness for the light turning green at 4:00 p.m. local time. Everyone bar Verstappen has headed out for their initial laps during the opening moments - all sporting the soft tyres - before the Dutchman joins the action a few minutes later. Meanwhile, his team mate Hadjar sounds unhappy over the radio, issuing a complaint about the worst prep ever. As the first timed laps go on the board, Leclerc sits at the top of the timesheets via an effort of 1m 14.141s - just over one and a half tenths ahead of Norris and Antonelli - while Verstappen places in fifth after navigating a hefty amount of traffic. It does not take long for the times to tumble, with Leclerc improving further to dip into the 1m 13s. Just over halfway through the session, Russell finds himself at risk in P17 at the other end of the spectrum, ahead of Colapinto, Alonso, Perez, Stroll and Bottas. While Russell subsequently improves, the Briton can only move up to 10th amid replays showing him experiencing a bit of a moment on his lap. Leclerc, meanwhile, has gone even quicker at the top, working his way down to a 1m 13.293s, with Verstappen his closest challenger in second. Another better effort for Russell puts him up to P7, while Antonelli is shown a black and white flag for failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions. But as the clock ticks down into the final minutes, a yellow flag is thrown - quickly followed by a red - when Bortoleto comes to a halt at the Nouvelle chicane, the Audi driver having made contact with the barriers. The session resumes with two minutes and 11 seconds left to go, meaning that the pressure is on for those at the bottom of the order - that being Perez, Bearman, Sainz, Bottas, Alonso and Stroll - as well as the names just ahead. While the top six - along with Russell in eighth and Lawson in 12th - opt to stay in the garage, the rest of the field are back on track in an attempt to make a final improvement. Sainz is the star performer when it comes to doing this, the Spaniard putting in a solid lap to haul himself up to P10. This drops Ocon into the elimination zone in P17 - and with the rest of those in the drop zone unable to improve enough, the Frenchman is joined by Perez, Bearman, Bottas, Alonso and Stroll. There is already drama in the pit lane as Q2 gets underway, with Williams noted for an unsafe release after Sainz is nearly sent out into the path of Verstappen. The stewards subsequently decide that no further investigation is necessary. 

All of the remaining 15 cars are back on track, the exception being Bortoleto who is out of the session following his earlier crash. With everybody again running the soft tyre, Verstappen initially goes quickest before Leclerc displaces the Dutchman on a lap of 1m 12.928s. Norris then betters that to slot into P1 - but the McLaren man does not stay there for long as Antonelli quickly moves ahead, the Mercedes racer’s effort of 1m 12.778s giving him an advantage of 0.141s from Norris. Elsewhere, Hulkenberg, Albon, Gasly, Lindblad and Colapinto are at risk as the order continues to evolve at the halfway mark. While Verstappen has moved closer in P2 - sitting just 0.062s behind Antonelli - the Italian goes even faster to extend his gap further. Meanwhile his team mate Russell does not look quite as comfortable, sitting in P8 some six tenths adrift of Antonelli. A pit lane incident involving Albon and Lindblad has been noted by the stewards, while Hulkenberg is to be investigated after the session for failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions. Back on the track, the German is on the bubble in P10 - before soon being pushed down into P11 by Lawson. As the session enters its final two minutes, Gasly has escaped the danger zone by slotting into 10th - just as Verstappen shoots to the top on a 1m 12.499s, with the other Red Bull of Hadjar an eye-catching third. Russell cannot improve on P8, but the Mercedes driver looks to be safe as those at the bottom struggle to move forward, putting Albon, Sainz, Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Lindblad and Bortoleto out of Q2. Thirteen minutes go on the clock for Q3, the top-10 shootout that sees the Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull pairings joined by Gasly and Lawson. As the first timed laps go on the board, Antonelli is again the man to beat with a benchmark of 1m 12.375s - but Verstappen gets astonishingly close, trailing the Italian by a mere 0.001s. Hamilton is 0.178s adrift of Antonelli in third, with Norris further back in fourth and Russell fifth. Leclerc, meanwhile, does not get a representative time in, having aborted his previous effort which leaves him down in 10th. As such, the Monegasque opts to head out on track while the rest of the field remains in the garage prior to their final runs. Much to the disappointment of the local fans, the answer to that proves to be no, with Verstappen snatching P1 - Hamilton nearly two tenths back in second - before Antonelli betters them all to seal pole via a 1m 12.051s.

Hopes of Leclerc taking the position back on his final lap are dashed when the Ferrari driver hits the wall at Tabac, stopping his car on track at Rascasse as a result. This leaves him in fourth, ahead of Hadjar, Russell, Piastri, Norris, Gasly and Lawson. Kimi Antonelli could not hide his delight after building on a sensational start to the 2026 season with a hard-earned pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix. Antonelli ended the first day of running in Monte Carlo fifth on the timesheets, half a second off the pace set by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, and behind Mercedes team mate George Russell. However, the Italian teenager made a clear step forward by topping Saturday’s third and final practice session, before doubling down on that performance in Qualifying - where he grabbed pole with a stunning final lap of Q3. Antonelli will start Sunday’s Grand Prix just ahead of Red Bull rival Max Verstappen, Ferrari pair Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull, and Russell.

"It was one of those laps we call the magic lap - I was able to put [it] all together. It was such a close Qualifying with Max. I think in the first run of Q3 there was just one millisecond between us, but I knew the last lap was good, and was just hoping that it would be enough. It was very close and I’m very happy with that. Massive thanks to the team, because yesterday we struggled a little bit, and today we were able to improve massively".

Ask if his lap felt like an out of body experience, as hero Ayrton Senna once describes, Antonelli continues:

"I think it’s one of the most intense, if not the most intense, Qualifying of the year, and it takes a massive effort. Also in practice, because you keep just trying to get close to the limit. When it’s about finding the last two-tenths, it’s not easy, because the walls start to come closer. It’s not easy to gain the confidence, but I have to be honest, I felt great this morning, and I’m happy that we could finish the job today".

Antonelli is now focused on converting pole into what would be a fifth successive victory of the campaign, and extending his 43-point advantage over Russell at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.

"I’m just enjoying the driving, enjoying the car, enjoying the weekend. That was a big step compared to last year, and it’s really nice to be able to enjoy the sessions. I’m looking forward to tomorrow".

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was pleasantly surprised after Saturday afternoon’s Qualifying session in Monaco, having recovered from a tricky final practice outing to challenge for pole position. Verstappen wound up a distant fifth in FP3, almost a second away from pace-setting Mercedes rival Kimi Antonelli, but emerged as the young Italian’s nearest challenger in the all-important grid-deciding hour. In the end, just four hundredths of a second separated the pair in Antonelli’s favour, with Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the other Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, and George Russell’s Silver Arrow rounding out the top five. Asked for his reaction after hopping out of the car, Verstappen says:

"If you would’ve told me yesterday that I would be on the front row, I definitely would’ve taken it. Also in final practice this morning, I think we had some difficulties with the car, so heading into Qualifying and being up there I think was extremely positive. Overall, of course, I’m very happy with how Qualifying went, how all the laps went, even though I had to deal with all the traffic and the walls".

Expanding on the challenge of driving F1’s 2026-specification cars around the streets of Monte Carlo, the four-time World Champion comment:

"They are more on edge than the last few years, and also with the power that kicks in, driveability and shifts are all a bit different. Once you get on top of it and get a clean lap out of it, especially in Qualifying you’re flat-out and on the limit, it’s very rewarding when it goes well".

In terms of his chances on Sunday, Verstappen understandably highlighted the importance of the run down to the first corner - while referencing Ferrari’s generally strong getaways so far this season.

"Let’s see in the start - these cars are quite complicated to start. I have two cars behind me that start quite well, but we’ll see. This was a good day, and I definitely enjoyed it in Qualifying".

Lewis Hamilton was left perplexed by the difference in his Ferrari between the strong Free Practice sessions and Qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix, in which he settled for third place after struggling to match the pace of Mercedes and Red Bull. The Briton got off to a spectacular start in Monaco as he firmly established himself as one of the contenders for pole position with top three finishes across the practice hours, including setting the fastest lap in FP2. But as he got stuck into the most important Qualifying session of the season - with overtaking spots limits around the narrow streets - Hamilton was unable to get up to speed and despite a monumental final effort, his lap of 1m 12.279s ended up being over two tenths shy of Kimi Antonelli’s pole time.

"Congrats to Kimi - mega job. Having your first pole here is so special, and obviously we’ve got such a great crowd here so it’s a beautiful day. Tough for us, I think we were looking so strong in Practice and we barely changed anything but the car was drastically different once we got to Qualifying for some reason, so we have to take a deep dive into that. I gave it absolutely everything and was as close to the barriers as I could be. What a privilege it is to be here and be one of the 22 drivers in Formula 1 getting to do this still. I love every second of it".

The tiniest of margins separated the drivers in Q3, with Hamilton’s team mate Charles Leclerc only managing P4 at his home track after making an error and bumping into the barrier on his second attempt. With a small deficit separating Ferrari from their rivals, Hamilton seemed to relish the competition and shared his optimism that they can continue battling at the top, both in Monaco and in the longer term. He says: 

"I think it is definitely very close between us all. I mean jeez, I thought we almost maybe nearly had it and then Max put in a good time, and then Kimi… I think it’s great to see how close all the cars are. I think we lost something going into today and that’s what we need to try to figure out, but a big thank you to the guys back at the factory and the guys here. We haven’t added performance this weekend but we’re obviously there in the fight. I’m really keen and looking forward to seeing what developments we bring in the future".

George Russell admitted that he is still trying to understand the reasons behind his recent struggles after a tough Qualifying in Monaco, with the Briton conceding that nothing’s clicking following a session in which he could not match the pace of team mate Kimi Antonelli. While Ferrari appeared to have the better of Mercedes on Friday, Antonelli topped the timesheets during Saturday’s final practice session before continuing his strong form into Qualifying, where he secured his fourth career pole position. Russell, meanwhile, looked less comfortable behind the wheel of the W17 and ended the session in P6, nearly four tenths adrift of Antonelli. When ask after Qualifying about what had happened - and why he had not been able to make the step forward from Friday as Antonelli had done - Russell responds: 

"I don’t really know. The last few races, it’s just been so challenging for me just to get the laps together. I remember at the first two races of the season, every lap I did, practice or Quali, it was always P1 or P2, and now nothing’s clicking. I’ve got some ideas, but my driving style’s just not working with the car at the moment, so we need to understand it".

The 28-year-old went on to suggest that his driving style does not appear to be a natural fit for Mercedes’ 2026 challenger, leaving him with some work to do going forward.

"I’m not having a lot of confidence in the car right now. I do have some ideas why that is, but I don’t know right now. I don’t know. We’ve done some good work to sort of understand some things with my driving style, that I’ve had sort of all my years in Mercedes, and I think this car is not bringing out the best in me. So, I need to adjust to it, or make some development changes to help me drive more naturally. I’m sort of scratching my head right now".

Charles Leclerc admids I don’t really know where to brake around the Circuit de Monaco after winding up fourth in Qualifying, having been plagued by issues behind the wheel of his Ferrari throughout the weekend. On paper, Leclerc made a strong start to his home event by topping FP1 and finishing second fastest in FP2 on Friday, but he was quick to point out troubles with his brakes when he spoke to the media afterwards - having also struggled in this area in Canada. Those complaints carried over to Saturday’s running, with his efforts in FP3 hampered by a horrendous feeling under braking, before having to settle for P4 in Qualifying - via a crash on his final lap of the session. Leclerc had taken provisional pole prior to improvements from Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and team mate Lewis Hamilton, and his bid to improve again ended when he thumped the barriers at Tabac corner. Sharing his emotions after the session, Leclerc sigh:

"I’m very disappointed. It’s been an incredibly tough weekend. It’s been an incredibly tough two last weekends, with quite a lot of issues on my side. I’m pretty confident that we’ll have a solution for the next race, but so far it’s been very, very tricky. The fact that on braking I just don’t really know where to brake still... but I wouldn’t put the mistake only on that, it’s for sure a combination of things. Sometimes it’s only me; I think today it’s a bit more than only me. Just as a team, and on my side of the garage, it’s been a very messy weekend. We’ve had quite a lot of issues, we’ve had a lot of issues in Q3 as well. Probably nothing that people realise, but to go out of the box much earlier… there was a bit of a mess in the garage. But then luckily we kind of got back onto the track, and I knew I had two laps. I tried everything on the second lap, and it’s life. I didn’t finish the lap, and that’s it".

Ask about his otherwise competitive pace, and whether he takes hope from that potential brake solution for future races, Leclerc add:

"Yeah, but being quick is not… it’s always the way you are being quick. The fact that the whole weekend I really felt like I was… I can feel when things click around this track, and where I’m confident. I knew it would be extremely difficult to make anything work today, so the confidence was not there. I went into Qualifying trying to be confident, but I wasn’t. With all those issues, on a track like this, on a track like Montreal, you are paying the price. I just hope we can have a normal weekend and get back the feeling that I had before with this car".

Oscar Piastri regretfully admitted that McLaren would have ended up seventh in Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix no matter what they changed, in what was a frustrating session ahead of their 1000th Grand Prix. Both Piastri and his team mate Lando Norris grew used to appearing outside of the top five during Free Practice in Monaco, but there was some hope that they would find performance ahead of the all-important Qualifying hour. However, while the other frontrunners at Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari all cut down their times throughout Q3, McLaren struggled to keep up and Piastri was forced to settle for P7 - over half a second adrift of Kimi Antonelli’s pole position lap. Ask whether it was the best result he could have achieved, he replies: 

"I think maybe there was a tiny bit more lap time out there but I think we were going to be seventh no matter what today. We struggled with the balance yesterday. Today the car has actually felt a little bit nicer but we’re just lacking grip, it looks like, compared to the others. Not much you can do about it. For sure it’s been a bit of a surprise. We didn’t think we would be amazing here, but not as bad as it has been. Definitely some things to look into".

After joining Piastri as the first of the final 10 out on track, Norris endured a similarly frustrating conclusion to Qualifying when a small error impacted his second run, leaving him to start alongside his team mate on the fourth row as he wound up in eighth place. He revealed that even without the mistake, the advantage their competitors had would still have been too great to overcome, marking a disappointing result as the team celebrate their milestone Grand Prix.

"I just had a lock-up into T10. I don’t really know why. When I looked at the data I had fractionally more brake pressure but the line was the same, the bump was the same. I was at 99.9% and it’s hard to know that sometimes, and I went to 100% and paid the price. I was pushing a lot and I feel like we got a lot of lap time out of it quite early on in Qualifying. There just wasn’t much more to come after that and that’s just frustrating when you see the others doing better and better laps, and the gap getting bigger and you kind of want to go with them. We just didn’t have the car all weekend, honestly. We’ve been struggling - that’s been very clear. I was two tenths up almost so there was certainly more potential in it, but even if I was two tenths up I only would’ve been ahead of Oscar, so the gap to the others was just too significant. Just not the car this weekend. For the others to go so much quicker between a couple of runs is just that they go from not pushing much to okay, let’s take a few more risks. I was taking the risks in Q1 already! This is just the position we’re in because we didn't expect to be maybe quite as quick as we were in Q1 and Q2. We expected to be close to knockout so we did a good job, just my last lap let me down and let my Quali down. Otherwise, I think we got a lot out of this weekend. It’s just been a lot tougher than last season - not the confidence, not the grip we want. We need to see in the future what we can improve because we’re a long way off".

Following three eventful practice sessions and a nail-biting Qualifying around the streets of Monte Carlo, it is time for race day at the Monaco Grand Prix, the sixth round of the season. Although Ferrari looks like the team to beat throughout practice, it is Antonelli who secures a spectacular pole position at the last gasp, edging out Verstappen and Hamilton for the top spot. He sets the stage for a thrilling start, with three teams occupying the front two rows. Home hero Leclerc lines up in an underwhelming fourth place ahead of the second Red Bull of Hadjar and a disappointed Russell, followed by the McLaren pair of Piastri and Norris. Lawson, in the lead Racing Bulls machine, faces the threat of a pit lane start due to car issues, but the team finds a fix in time, and he makes his P10 grid slot alongside Gasly. Audi’s Bortoleto is not as lucky; he grinds to a halt at the pit exit before proceedings get underway, forcing him to abandon his planned P16 start and begin from the pit lane. Last season’s mandatory two-stop rule is not in play, with a one-stop race expected in the pleasant weather. Once the tyre blankets are removed, it is revealed that the majority have opted for medium tyres - with the exception of Bortoleto and the two Cadillacs of Perez and Bottas, who bolt on the soft compound. Antonelli endures a long wait on pole while the field pulls in behind him, but when the lights go out in Monaco, he executes a perfect launch and maintains the lead. The Mercedes man’s expectations of a fierce challenge from Verstappen never come to fruition as the Dutchman fails to properly get going and sits by as 21 rivals speed past, allowing the Ferrari pair to instantly improve to second and third. The rest of the opening lap is largely clean, with Gasly sneaking ahead of Norris before Bearman heads into the pits for a new front wing, suggesting early contact. He is joined by Verstappen, as Red Bull decides to retire him, marking a frustrating missed opportunity. Marginally behind, Russell breathes a sigh of relief as there is no further investigation into a false start, leaving him in P6. Perez is noted for the same infringement and receives a drive-through penalty for being out of position; he mistakenly drove into Bortoleto’s absent slot. He takes the penalty and drops from P16 to P18. As the frontrunners encounter backmarker traffic, Ferrari tries to stay close to Antonelli, planning for the pit window. Some, like Haas’ Ocon, pit early, switching to hard tyres. 

Hamilton, running in P2, reports a lot of degradation and high tyre temperatures. Despite the complaint, he gradually reduces Antonelli’s advantage to less than 3s. Meanwhile, Russell stays within a second of Hadjar, noting that the Red Bull’s front left tyre is graining. Hadjar’s troubles mount as he reports a panic-stricken engine issue - specifically that first gear is unusable - and a loss of power. He fears an explosion, while Russell stalks him, claiming his pace would be at least 1s faster in clear air, a luxury Antonelli enjoys at the front with a lead of over 10s by Lap 26. The order shuffles as Ferrari brings Hamilton in for his first stop on Lap 29. The 2.1s change is impressive. A lap later, Bearman becomes the third retirement, joining Bottas, who stops due to brake issues. Frustrated by Hadjar, Russell pits on Lap 32 for hard tyres, rejoining in P8 behind Norris. The strategy pays off as Hadjar follows him in and loses the position, handing seventh to Russell. Hamilton receives a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane, but with a massive gap back to the rest of the field, a podium remains on the cards. Drama deepens as Russell and Colapinto are also penalized for the same infraction. Russell is then noted for crossing the line at the pit exit, but things look even more dire for Norris. With his speed dropping, he is passed by Russell and quickly ordered to retire. In the midfield, Albon is told to swap positions with his Williams teammate Sainz. The move backfires as Lindblad finds a way past Albon after the Williams racer cuts the Nouvelle Chicane and drops out of the top 10. Gasly and Piastri receive five-second penalties for speeding in the pits, while Stroll is punished for exceeding track limits. Race leader Antonelli feels something weird with the engine going up the hill, but his engineer assures him it is nothing to worry about. He continues to manage his 30s lead. However, that lead is thrown into jeopardy when Stroll crashes into the wall at Antony Noghes, prompting a Safety Car. During the ensuing pit stops, Hamilton and Piastri serve their time penalties.

Mercedes gets stuck changing Antonelli’s left rear, cutting his lead. When racing resumes, Leclerc replicates Stroll’s crash at the final corner, bringing out a red flag. During the pause, it is revealed that Gasly and Russell receive further penalties - the latter hit with a drive-through for failing to serve his original penalty. After the red flag delay, the drivers prepare for a standing start. Antonelli leads away confidently, but it is a disaster for Hadjar, who drops behind Russell and Gasly. Chaos ensues at the hairpin as Hulkenberg tags Sainz, sending him into the wall. Sainz then collides with Colapinto and retires from the race. Russell completes his drive-through penalty and tumbles to P14. It is a far happier end for Antonelli, who crosses the line 4.4s ahead of Hamilton to take the win, setting the fastest lap as well. Hadjar appears to secure the final podium spot, pending post-race investigations. Piastri finishes a respectable fourth, ahead of the Racing Bulls pair of Lawson and Lindblad. After penalties, Gasly settles for P7, while Albon, Ocon, and Perez round out the points. Sainz, Leclerc, Stroll, Norris, Bearman, Bottas, and Verstappen are the seven retirees. Kimi Antonelli was left to hail an incredible weekend after his victory in an eventful Monaco Grand Prix - but the championship leader also set out the goal of maintaining his current level of performance, having conceded that the job’s not finished. After arriving into the weekend with a 43-point lead over Mercedes team mate George Russell, Antonelli’s chances of extending this appeared strong when he secured pole position in Saturday’s Qualifying while Russell wound up in P6. However, the Italian faced the task of staying focused during what would prove to be a chaotic afternoon around the streets of Monte Carlo, which saw numerous retirements and penalties for his rivals as well as a red flag in the latter stages, to allow for a track inspection following a crash for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. When the action resumed for the final 10 laps, Antonelli had the other Scuderia car of Lewis Hamilton lined up behind him - but the youngster kept his head and went on to claim his first Monaco win.

"It’s been an incredible weekend, an incredible race. It was one of those days where we had incredible pace and it was just coming all so naturally. The car was feeling incredible and it was just giving me the confidence to push, so it was a very enjoyable day".

Despite now holding a lead of 66 points in the standings - ahead of Hamilton, who has now overtaken Russell - Antonelli recognised the importance of continuing to perform at this level, with many rounds still remaining in the championship.

"The job’s not finished - it’s still a long season and we’ve got to keep pushing, keep raising the bar, and the goal is to keep performing like this. The team have done an incredible job - they’ve given us an incredible car, and I’ve got so much support from the team as well, and from my family. It’s a really good moment so far".

Antonelli also shared an insight into how he approached the race restart following the stoppage.

"To be fair, I wasn’t super keen on restarting as well, because I didn’t really want to restart. But then once the notification came out, I just gathered my emotions, my thoughts and I started to focus again, looked at some data and so on and just tried to refocus on restarting and then trying to get the tyres in the right temperature. Once I got away, I knew I was going to make it into P1 in the first corner, and from that point on I just enjoyed the last few laps".

Lewis Hamilton believes that his hard-fought podium finish in the Monaco Grand Prix proved that Ferrari still have plenty of work to do to match Mercedes, with the Briton quick to praise Kimi Antonelli for his stunning victory. Starting from third, Hamilton was hopeful he could challenge for a higher position at lights out, but he unexpectedly gained one straightaway as Max Verstappen stopped on the grid and plummeted to the back, allowing the Ferrari driver to instantly improve to P2.

Antonelli escaped up the road and opened up an unassailable lead as Hamilton ran ahead of his team mate Charles Leclerc, maintaining the position throughout the first round of stops before he was handed a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. A golden opportunity presented itself when the Safety Car was deployed while Lance Stroll’s damaged Aston Martin was recovered, meaning Hamilton could serve his penalty during the race and defend P2 all the way to the chequered flag.

"I have to start by congratulating Kimi and the Mercedes team, my old family. They’ve done it again, they’ve created an amazing car and Kimi’s doing an incredible job, just delivering weekend in, weekend out. It’s great to see and I’m really happy for them. On our side, I think we’ve been progressing over the past months and can’t quite keep up with them just yet, and it’s probably going to take a lot of work for us to get to their level. But to get another second place is such a great feeling, especially in Monaco, under the trickiest conditions. It was the hardest conditions out there, and we’ve had such a great turnout today as well, so I’ll definitely take it".

This marks Hamilton’s eighth podium in Monaco, equalling Ayrton Senna’s record around the iconic circuit, but the achievement didn’t erase the issues he faced during the 78-lap Grand Prix. Degradation and overheating tyres dictated his opening stint and made it an uncomfortable drive to his second consecutive podium, but the result nevertheless enabled him to overtake George Russell for P2 in the Drivers' standings.

Ask what the biggest challenge was in Monaco, Hamilton explain:

"I think for me it’s really the car. The car is good, but we need more downforce ultimately. With the tyres, with the different scenarios we had out there, I ran out of tyres quite early in the first stint, and then I was on that long second stint and these tyres aren’t particularly great over a long stint, so holding on to that was going to be tough. Once we had to slow down under the Safety Car, you lose all temperature, and you saw with other drivers out there that it was really hard to stay on track. I think just with all different things that have been thrown at us, it was massively challenging but really grateful for the day. Happy and grateful to the team, grazie to everyone back at the factory and all the guys here have worked so hard to get this result - they truly deserve this and more, and I’ve just got to keep working harder to see if I can finally take that next step for them".

Isack Hadjar has kept his podium result at the Monaco Grand Prix after no further action was taken following a post-race investigation for an alleged red flag infringement. The event got off to a difficult start for Red Bull, with Max Verstappen retiring at the end of the first lap following an issue on his car - and it would also prove to be a tough afternoon for Hadjar, who revealed after the chequered flag that he had been experiencing massive driveability issues from early on in the event. However, following a frenetic race that featured a red flag in the latter stages, Hadjar crossed the line in fourth and was promoted into third due to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly receiving two time five-second penalties up ahead for speeding in the pit lane. The result looked to have given Hadjar his first podium as a Red Bull driver - but this appeared in jeopardy when it was confirmed that he would be investigated after the race for an alleged red flag infringement, with a Technical Delegate’s Report stating: 

"During the suspension of the Race, mechanics of the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team were working on car number 6, performing operations not permitted by Article B5.14.4.a. at 16:55. When queried about their works, they stopped working and reverted the car to its previous state without replacing any part".

Hadjar and a team representative were subsequently required to report to the stewards, but it was later confirmed after the hearing that no further action would be taken. A document released afterwards says:

"The team were reported as attempting to change spark plugs/coils but did not proceed with the change and the car started in the same condition as it arrived in the pits, therefore no further action is taken".

Hadjar had earlier spoken immediately after the race of his joy at bouncing back from the challenges that he had faced during the weekend in Monte Carlo.

"At the restart, I felt like I had a good start and suddenly I had a hope, and I lost two places but I knew that the car ahead had a penalty. But I had limited power and I never had to send it that much in my life through the corners to stay within five seconds of Pierre. It’s an outstanding weekend considering how it started in FP1, and I had no confidence to get back up, but we did it so I’m happy".

Max Verstappen conceded that his early retirement from the Monaco Grand Prix was even more painful given the potential for a good result, with the Dutchman admitting that Red Bull had been enjoying a nice weekend up until that point. After qualifying in P2 behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in Saturday’s Qualifying session, there was much anticipation over what Verstappen - a two-time winner in Monte Carlo - might be able to do in Sunday’s race. However, the four-time World Champion’s afternoon was over before it started after he initially failed to get off the line. As the rest of the field flashed by him, Verstappen subsequently managed to get moving but brought the car into the pits to retire at the end of his first lap. Speaking in the media pen after his exit from the race, Verstappen is quizzes on how frustrating the situation was given his impressive Qualifying performance one day earlier.

"After such a nice weekend for us, you’d at least hope to be on the podium. We of course then retired basically straight away. It’s painful for everyone. There’s also no need to be super upset because I think everyone is already really disappointed about it. It’s just a shame for everyone. I really hoped that I could do something, or at least make it an exciting race and try to put the pressure on because I really felt good this whole weekend, and now to basically come away with zero points is probably even more painful".

Sharing further details on the cause of his retirement, Verstappen continue: 

"I think already the formation lap wasn’t particularly great, but then in the pre-start the engine was responding very weird. Normally at one point you find your RPM target, but the engine basically was not doing that, and when I dropped the clutch it basically dropped dead. I only had the battery at one point that helped me go forward, and after that the engine sounded really bad as soon as I had a bit of power back, and I’m sure if I just would have gone flat-out within the lap I would have destroyed it completely so they told me to bring it back slowly".

George Russell was left struggling for words after another damaging weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix, which ended with Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli extending his championship advantage from 43 points to 68. Russell arrived in Monte Carlo looking to move on from the disappointment of a technical-related retirement at the previous Canadian round, but he had no answer to Antonelli’s pace in Qualifying and then experienced a rollercoaster race day. While the Briton had looked set to turn sixth on the grid into third, via plenty of incidents, late Safety Cars and a red flag, a drive-through penalty served in the closing laps meant he tumbled down the order and eventually placed 13th.

That drive-through had been handed out when an initial penalty (for speeding in the pit lane) was not served correctly - Mercedes mechanics working on Russell’s car at a subsequent stop before five seconds had passed. Ask for his emotions after the race, which Antonelli comfortably won, Russell sigh:

"I’m flat. I’m beyond frustration. I’m in a state of struggling to comprehend what is going on. The team told me there’s nothing I did wrong in the pit lane... I pressed the limiter before the entry, I released it after the exit, but there was a software issue. A five-second penalty, not ideal, not the end of the world, but then with the pit stop, didn’t serve it, drive-through penalty... the punishment doesn’t fit the crime, and I went from P3 to zero points".

Ask if he can take positives from what might have been a recovery to third, were it not for that drive-through, Russell add:

"I know if things go smoothly, I’m fine. We’ve won two of the three Sprints races, we won in Melbourne, I was leading in Canada and the car broke down, I was leading in Japan, poor Safety Car timing, I could have been on the podium here today. I know it’s all possible, and I haven’t lost any faith in myself. Yesterday, yes, was a really bad day for me, but I still could have been on the podium today. All of these other factors… I wish I could take some blame for what… I’d probably sleep better knowing the failure in Canada was because I hit a kerb wrong, and the pit limiter today I came in too fast. When it’s just totally out of your control, it’s a tough one".

Charles Leclerc was left to rue ongoing brake problems after dramatically retiring from his home Grand Prix in Monaco, describing the situation as not acceptable and impossible to manage. Leclerc held the final podium place for the majority of Sunday’s encounter in the Principality, having gained a spot on the opening lap when Red Bull rival Max Verstappen struggled to pull away from the grid and retired. However, following a late Safety Car period, the home hero hit trouble at the restart when he went straight on at the final corner - Anthony Noghes - and slid helplessly into the barriers, causing terminal damage to his Ferrari. When he returned to the paddock to speak to the media, with the frustration clear to see on his face, Leclerc said: 

"I’m extremely disappointed, sad, angry - a mixture of negative emotions. I don’t know how much I can go into the details, but… I don’t think… I mean, it’s just not acceptable. The issues I have faced with my brakes have been… it’s not that it’s difficult, it’s that in this particular moment it’s just impossible. I cannot do anything. The only thing I can do is not brake for the last corner, but in an F1 corner not braking in the last corner ends up in the wall anyway. I put the least amount of brakes I could possibly do, and it’s not even braking, it’s leaning my foot on the brake. The rear brakes were not working at all, so I don’t know if there was an issue there, or if it’s the inconsistency I get, and the front delivered a lot more than what it should, so that’s what happened".

Asked about the chances of an improvement in this area for next weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Leclerc added: 

"We have a fix. We have different configurations between the Ferrari cars, and I think we’ve found a solution, so that is positive. I didn’t really want to change this weekend, and for that maybe I am to blame in a way that I thought on a track like this, in Monaco, it was good to start with brakes that I knew. Considering the issues I’ve dealt with, and that there are no solutions on a track like this, there’s not much to say".

Cadillac have lost what initially marked their first point in F1 after Sergio Perez picked up a post-race time penalty in Monaco for an infringement at the final race restart. Perez moved into points contention across Sunday afternoon’s incident-packed Grand Prix around the streets of the Principality, which featured multiple crashes, Safety Cars and a red flag.

He eventually crossed the line in 10th place, earning Cadillac a valuable point, but was subsequently investigated for being out of position on the grid at the restart after the red flag. Once the stewards had looked into the matter, a 10-second penalty was sent in Perez’s direction, dropping the Mexican from P10 to P15 - and making him the final finisher of the day.

"The stewards heard from the driver of Car 11, a Cadillac team representative, and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video and in-car video evidence. Video evidence showed clearly that the front-right wheel of Car 11 was outside the starting box. The standard penalty is applied".

This added to a drive-through penalty that Perez served during the race for parking in the wrong grid slot at the original start - lining up 16th, rather than 18th, after Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto moved to the pit lane. Finally, in another incident during the reconnaissance laps to the grid, Perez was reprimanded by the stewards for making a practice start in the wrong position. On Friday, June 12, 2026, Pierre Gasly's Monaco Grand Prix podium is reinstated after Alpine's Right of Review request proves successful. After starting ninth on the grid last weekend in the Principality, the Frenchman improves to P4 throughout a race that includes two Safety Cars and a red flag before gaining another position as Mercedes' George Russell serves a late drive-through penalty. However, Gasly is penalised for speeding in the pit lane twice during the race and is handed two separate five-second time penalties which are added to his time, demoting him to seventh at the chequered flag - a final result that leaves him heartbroken. Following the race, Alpine requests a Right of Review into the decision that costs Gasly his first podium of the season, with the initial hearing taking place on Thursday during the start of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend. The Enstone-based squad is successful in the initial hearing, having successfully provided new, significant and relevant evidence. A subsequent hearing to review Gasly's penalty takes place shortly after on Thursday, with the FIA confirming on Friday morning that the Frenchman's penalties are rescinded and his Monaco Grand Prix podium is reinstated. A statement from Alpine reads:

"We welcome the decision made by the FIA to deem our Right of Review as admissible following the final classification of last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. As a result, the Stewards have rescinded the two five-second penalties imposed on Car #10, which reinstates the team’s third place finish. We would like to thank the FIA and Formula One Management for its transparency and co-operation throughout the Right of Review process and for reaching this decision. The team’s focus is now very much on this weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and striving for the best possible result with both of its cars".

This means that Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar will lose his podium result, with the Frenchman being demoted to P4 while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and the two Racing Bulls cars of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will also each drop a position.