The Paddock Chronicle never misses the Grand Prix, especially the Monaco Grand Prix. Last weekend saw the European leg of the 2026 season begin, and what better way to kick this stint off than in Monte Carlo: motorsport’s Crown Jewel.
Formula 1 provided one of the most jaw-dropping weekends in the Principality in recent years. It had everything, from a breathtaking Qualifying where no one could predict who was going to claim pole, to a race filled with drama, yellow and red flags, safety cars, race-ending incidents, and countless retirements and penalties. Also, don’t forget to add broken tarmac into the mix.
The Circuit de Monaco remained unforgiving to those who made minimal but costly errors. It also ensured to reward the brave. With a lot to unpack, here are the key takeaways from Formula 1 in Monaco.
Kimi Antonelli: F1’s Youngest Ever Winner in Monaco
The Monaco GP is the most highly anticipated motorsport event of the year, attracting stars and celebrities, and even royalty, from across the globe. The top step of the Monaco podium is the most sought after of them all, with drivers desperate to feel the sense of accomplishment and glory which comes with winning in the Principality.
Every driver has dreamt of securing the Monaco crown. The teenager, Kimi Antonelli, approached the weekend as normal, nothing phasing him. He had no idea that this dream was about to become a reality. The Championship became the teenager’s to lose after leaving Canada with four consecutive Grand Prix wins and a 43-point lead in the Drivers’ Standings.
A Slow Start in Friday’s Practice
Antonelli faced a tough start on Friday in Practice 1 and 2, struggling to find his rhythm on the iconic streets. In FP1, he managed P4 ahead of teammate Russell. Ferrari were favourites ahead of the weekend. Leclerc proved this by setting the pace, five tenths clear of Verstappen who slotted into P3 between the Scuderia and the Silver Arrows.
FP2 saw Ferrari continue to dominate, this time Hamilton topping the timings. The difference this time: the gap to the rest of the field had begun to slowly close. Verstappen once again in third, but with only a gap of 0.168s to Hamilton.
Mercedes had to settle for fourth and fifth again, but this time Russell was the quicker of the two. However, they were yet to find a solution to bring them closer to Ferrari and Verstappen, still nearly four tenths off the pace.
FP3 saw a gear shift in Antonelli’s Mercedes, who finally found his rhythm to leap ahead of the Ferraris with a best time of 1:12.720s. This lap was over three tenths quicker than the the Scuderia, who were separated by just four one thousandths of a second at the end of the final practice session.
Qualifying: A Four-Way Fight for Pole
The most important Qualifying session of the season kicked off at 4pm local time Saturday. All eyes were on the teenager to put a perfect lap together for pole position. This advantage more crucial than at any other circuit on the calendar.
Antonelli comfortably secured his place in Q2, followed by a vast improvement in pace to earn him a spot in Q3 battling alongside Verstappen and the Ferraris. Leclerc was quickest in Q1, while Verstappen took over fastest lap duties in Q2, with Antonelli very much in contention for pole ahead of Q3.
In Q3, Leclerc took provisional pole on a lone push lap whilst the other drivers remained in their garages to prepare for their final runs. He was immediately displaced by Verstappen, who looked favourite for pole. Hamilton then came close, but his lap was only good enough for third.
Then, a magical lap in the closing stages of the session. The Mercedes prodigy earned his maiden pole position in only his second outing in Monaco in Formula 1. An incredibly tight margin between the front row of 0.043s.
The 19-year-old faced a huge challenge ahead on Sunday, lining up alongside a four-time World Champion and in front of a locked out second row of Ferraris who know how to make up ground at the start of a race. There was no better situation for the teenager to prove his driving capabilities in. All that was required of him on Sunday was to perfect his starting procedure and remain the leader of the pack after the difficult first corner.
The Monaco GP: Antonelli Only Looked Forward
The Italian was in complete control from start to finish. A flawless weekend on motorsport’s biggest stage. With Verstappen losing power at lights out and retiring, that was one less threat for Antonelli. Pulling away from his grid box with no issues, he built a comfortable gap to Hamilton within the opening laps and began to pull away from the rest of the field.
Reverting to a one-stop strategy after last year’s two-stop experiment, Antonelli pitted on lap 37. Still unchallenged, he exited the pitlane with a 13-second lead, plus five seconds from Hamilton’s unserved speeding penalty.
The teenager only came under pressure from lap 60 onwards when Stroll crashed at the final corner, triggering a safety car. Almost everyone pitted, with Antonelli nearly missing out due to ill-timing of the safety car and a late team call.
The restart on lap 65 was quickly halted after Leclerc produced a near-identical crash at the final corner. A red flag followed while officials inspected a section of crumbling tarmac suspected of reducing grip and contributing to both incidents.
A standing start followed the lengthy stoppage, with pressure mounting on the teenager to bring his Mercedes home in P1. Antonelli again retained his lead over Hamilton with a strong launch.
Classified last in last year’s Monaco GP, Antonelli led every lap in the 2026 event to claim his maiden Monaco win. A generational talent with five consecutive Grand Prix victories to his name. He became the youngest ever winner in Monaco, taking the record from fellow podium finisher Hamilton. The win also completed Antonelli’s first career Grand Slam – the first teenager in Formula 1 history to achieve the feat – and ended Mercedes’ Monaco drought since Hamilton’s 2019 triumph.
Hamilton Equals Senna’s Record of Eight Monaco Podiums
The seven-time World Champion has returned. Hamilton always drives well around Monaco, and this year it was his turn to shine for Ferrari on the prestigious podium. He equalled Leclerc’s result here last year with another P2 finish for the Scuderia – two second places in a row for Hamilton.
Another remarkable record equalled for the Briton by stepping on the Monaco podium for the eighth time in his career. His motorsport hero, the late Ayrton Senna, has been the only other driver to complete this feat in Monaco GP history.
Ahead of the weekend, Ferrari were firm favourites to take victory. This was due to the driving style and requirements of the circuit suiting the SF-26 best, known for its strength in slow speed corners. Arguably, Ferrari had a huge advantage at this track.
The car performed as expected in Friday’s practice sessions, with both drivers having their moment in top spot. Come Saturday, both the Red Bull of Verstappen and Mercedes’ Antonelli had improved drastically, becoming contenders for pole and looking to spoil the Tifosi party.
Hamilton looked most consistent out of the Ferraris over the weekend. He out qualified the Monegasque, who made one too many mistakes, costing him dearly for track position.
On Sunday, Ferrari had the second best car, although if Verstappen had been able to continue this might not have been the case. Ferrari were unable keep up with Antonelli’s raw pace – a track Mercedes were expected to struggle on.
Hamilton received a time penalty for speeding in the pitlane, but this did not affect his race, with Leclerc crashing out behind and a considerable gap to Gasly in P3 who also carried two speeding penalties. On the red flag restart, he was unable to pass the Mercedes, resulting in P2 at the chequered flag.
Questions of Reliability at Red Bull
On one side of the Red Bull garage, it was cause for celebration in Monte Carlo. On the other, their lead driver was left wondering what might have been. Red Bull showed more signs of improved pace and consistency throughout the weekend, but power unit reliability remains an unresolved issue in the team’s first season running its own engine programme with Ford.
Verstappen’s Hopes of Winning Ended on Lap 1
Verstappen was on the limit all weekend, consistently placing his RB22 in the top five in all sessions. Just shy of Ferrari’s pace in the first two practice sessions, he fell behind both Mercedes in FP3. However, Qualifying was where Max really came alive, climbing to P1 in Q2. Provisional pole was his until the title leader snatched it from his grasp in the final seconds.
All eyes were on the front row Sunday, with Max intimidating in the young Italian’s mirrors. This was short-lived, as the Dutchman barely left his grid box at lights out, tumbling to the back while Antonelli already approached Sainte-Dévote.
Max suffered a power unit issue that caused him to lose power after suspecting a problem on the formation lap. He retired on lap 1, just the eighth retirement of his career. A dramatic start for all the wrong reasons, ending any hopes of a first-lap overtake before his race had even begun.
A First Podium in Red Bull Colours for Hadjar
Hadjar started the weekend on a low by bringing out the red flag in FP1, after he slid sideways through the Swimming Pool chicane and into the barriers. Returning in FP2 to make up for lost time, he managed to put his Red Bull in P6 above Piastri. Hadjar then enjoyed a solid showing in Qualifying, placing P5 above a struggling Russell and the McLarens.
In Sunday’s race, he found himself immediately under pressure from Russell. He was very vocal on the radio during the first stint, complaining of gear issues and a lack of power. Holding up Russell for the first stint, he was undercut by the Mercedes as he exited the pits.
A retirement from Norris meant that Hadjar and Russell each gained a place, before two safety car deployments and a red flag. On restart, Hadjar again reported a lack of power, dropping two places to Russell and Gasly. However, both cars in front carried hefty penalties, with Russell serving his drive-through penalty whilst Gasly was unaware of his combined penalty of ten seconds.
Hadjar finished P4 on the road. However, with Gasly’s penalties he was promoted to the final podium place, and Gasly dropped to P7. Stepping on the podium for his first celebrations with his new team, his position was yet to be confirmed as he was under investigation for a red flag infringement. Post-podium, the stewards declared no wrongdoings, and Hadjar was able to hold onto a deserved third place and 15 important points.
Heartbreak for Home Hero Leclerc
Charles Leclerc arrived at his home race fresh from signing a new multi-year deal, committing his future to Ferrari. A second Monaco win would have been the cherry on top, but it was not meant to be.
Leclerc topped FP1 and followed his teammate in FP2, with Ferrari comfortably ahead of the field. A turn of events occurred Saturday with Antonelli leading the Ferraris in FP3. Verstappen then entered the picture in Qualifying – a thrilling four-way fight for pole soon unravelled.
The Monegasque put his SF-26 back on top in Q1 and made it comfortably through to the final part of Qualifying. He was only a few laps away from getting the grandstands on their feet, cheering his name in unison.
After aborting his first runs in Q3, Leclerc headed out on track alone. He delivered a near-perfect lap good enough for his fourth pole on home soil. The roar from the grandstands as he crossed the line reflected the crowd’s approval.
However, his closest rivals improved on their final runs. Leclerc pushed once more to reclaim pole, but his hopes were crushed when he hit the wall at Tabac and stopped at Rascasse. He had to settle for P4 as Ferrari locked out the second row, hoping their fast starts could bring them back into contention on Sunday.
Leclerc’s race ended in similarly heartbreaking fashion, and his hopes of a podium diminished. Preparing for the safety car restart on lap 65, he crashed at the final corner. Officials suspected crumbling tarmac had reduced grip, though Leclerc insisted cold tyres and brakes were to blame. It marked a frustrating fourth DNF in Monaco. Questions loom over whether the curse of his home circuit has returned.
Russell’s Luck is Yet to Turn
Russell headed into the Monaco GP weekend aiming to recover from Canada, where a battery failure ended his chances of victory.
In practice and Qualifying, he found himself second best to his teammate and struggled to put everything together. A difficult session, where he was at risk of elimination several times, left him P6 behind his teammate, the Ferraris and both Red Bulls. The only positive was an advantage over the McLarens behind, who also struggled to match the pace.
On Sunday, Russell became frustrated. Stuck behind Hadjar due to the difficulty of overtaking, a significant gap to the leaders formed. On lap 32, he pitted for hard tyres and successfully undercut Hadjar.
With clean air ahead, George suffered another setback: a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane. When the first safety car was deployed, Mercedes ordered him to stay out, but he had already entered the pits to double stack behind Antonelli. Hesitation from both driver and team meant the penalty was not served, resulting in a costly drive-through penalty after the red flag restart. He dropped out of the points as a result, finishing P12.
The Briton now has a huge mountain to climb as his teammate continues to extend his lead at the top. However, Toto Wolff remains confident that luck will soon come George’s way and he will return to winning ways.
A Double-Points Finish for Racing Bulls
A season-best result at the 2026 Monaco GP for Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls. The team achieved a double top six finish, with Lawson equalling his best ever finish of P5. Rookie Arvid Lindblad continued to exceed expectations, placing a career best of P6.
Not an ideal start in FP1, as both cars found themselves under investigation post-session. The team were handed a formal warning for an impeding incident involving Lindblad and Piastri, with the pit wall wrongly informing the rookie that Piastri had aborted his flying lap. Lawson was also called to the stewards for passing the red light and proceeding to enter the track. He was not penalised.
Both cars successfully made it into Q2, but Lindblad could only put in a lap good enough for P15. Lawson, on the other hand, managed to sneak through into Q3, knocking out both Williams, Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg and the Alpine of Colapinto. Bortoleto could not participate in Q2 after a crash in Q1, but had already put in a banker lap to see him through. Lawson ended Q3 last, starting P10 on Sunday.
A nervy start to Sunday, as the Kiwi driver was nearly unable to race after his team discovered a technical issue. Lawson’s car was deconstructed and the issue was resolved, all whilst fighting a tight time schedule before pit exit closing.
Sunday’s race result provided a huge boost. Consistent drives and great strategies from both drivers and their teams, with Lindblad also fortunate with the timing of the red flag. Pre-red flag, he was the only driver to have not completed the mandatory pitstop. Under red flag rules, he was able to swap to a fresh set of soft tyres for the final laps of the race without losing track position.
McLaren’s 1000th Grand Prix Falls Short of Expectations
Formula 1 royalty was out in force in Monaco to celebrate McLaren’s 1000th F1 Grand Prix. Last year’s winner, Lando Norris, hoped to make the weekend even more special by making it two consecutive wins in the Principality. However, with the Papaya’s recent lack of form and reliability issues, this seemed increasingly unlikely.
P7 and P8 was the highest McLaren could manage in Qualifying, Oscar ahead of Lando to lock out the fourth row. Unlike last year, it was a miserable Sunday for Lando. On lap 1, he was squeezed out by his teammate, losing a place to Gasly who he then ended up behind throughout the whole of the first stint.
Later on, another reliability issue came back to bite him in the form of a power unit issue. He continued on for as long as he could, ordered by his team to hold up Russell to allow Piastri to cruise down the road with the advantage of clean air in front of him. On lap 45, Lando let Russell and Hadjar through, returning to the pits to finally retire the car.
A different story for Piastri who had clean air for the majority of the race. He had a quietly successful weekend, other than receiving a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane. The Aussie took the chequered flag in P5 and was promoted to P4. Crucial points secured for the team, which have been difficult to come by compared to last season.
Not the weekend McLaren would’ve imagined for their 1000th Grand Prix after their achievements in recent years, but a huge milestone recognised by everyone involved in the sport.
Alonso Steals Cadillac’s First Ever Point
At the beginning of 2026, Aston Martin couldn’t even complete full race distance in their new regulation cars. In Monaco, a huge-stepping stone made with Alonso achieving the team’s first point of the season. Even if it was as a result of several penalties and retirements dished out to drivers ahead, a win is a win and Aston Martin will take the point.
At first, it was Cadillac celebrating their first ever point, as Sergio Pérez took the chequered flag in P10. However, their celebrations were halted after Checo received a 10-second post-race penalty for an infringement at the final race restart. This dropped him to P15 and the final classified race finisher.
The Standings After Round 6
Drivers’ Standings
Championship leader Antonelli extends his lead to 66 points after a flawless weekend. Teammate Russell is now 68 points adrift of Antonelli’s lead after penalties resulted in no points in Monaco. Russell falls to third in the standings, while Hamilton leaps up to second.
Leclerc is in fourth after retiring late on, with Piastri having a quietly successful weekend, finishing P4 after all penalties were applied. He sits fifth above teammate Norris – another of the seven retirees from Sunday’s race.
Hadjar’s third place means he gains on Verstappen. They sit P7 and P8, followed by Lawson and Gasly both with 26 points to complete the top 10. Without penalties, however, Gasly would’ve seen himself rise to P8.
Constructors’ Standings
The order of the Constructors’ is unchanged, except Aston Martin secure 10th spot ahead of Cadillac with their first point on the board.
Mercedes’ lead over Ferrari is now 79 points, followed by McLaren and Red Bull. The biggest change: Alpine are no longer comfortable in P5, as Racing Bulls have closed the gap to just two points after their double-points finish in Monte Carlo.
The second of nine rounds in the European stint sees Formula 1 head to Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend (12-14 June). Can Antonelli make it six Grand Prix wins on the bounce, or is it time for a new winner in 2026?
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Feature Image Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team