Championship leader beats Verstappen by just 43 thousandths in the fight for pole position; Brazilian Audi driver advances to Q2, but crashes in Q1 and cannot continue in qualifying
Read more F1: Bortoleto crashes in Q1 and starts 16th in Monaco GP
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. This Saturday (6), the Mercedes driver recorded 1min12s051 on the last attempt of Q3 and beat Max Verstappen by just 43 thousandths of a second in one of the most balanced qualifying sessions of the season.
Championship leader, Antonelli confirmed the favoritism shown in FP3 and secured his pole position on the grid after a decisive lap at the end of the session. Verstappen provisionally took pole in the final seconds, but saw the Italian find time in the last sector to regain first place.
Lewis Hamilton secured third place on the grid with Ferrari, ahead of Charles Leclerc, who faced problems throughout Q3 and even hit the guard-rail on his final attempt. Isack Hadjar was one of the big surprises of the session, taking fifth position, beating both McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. George Russell was only eighth, while Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
Q1- Qualifying started with a scare for Audi. Gabriel Bortoleto was on a lap that would comfortably put him in Q2 when he overdid it on the entry to the chicane after exiting the tunnel. The Brazilian lightly touched the guard-rail, but enough to break the car’s suspension and cause a red flag.
Despite the accident, the time previously obtained was enough to guarantee his qualification for Q2. With the interruption of the session and the difficulty of recovering the car, however, the Brazilian was unable to effectively participate in the second phase of qualifying.
When Q1 resumed, drivers at risk had only one final attempt to escape elimination. Carlos Sainz managed a saving lap and advanced to Q2, while Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Oliver Bearman, Sergio Pérez and Esteban Ocon were eliminated.
Q2- The second part of qualifying once again showed the balance seen throughout the weekend. Charles Leclerc took the provisional lead in the first attempts, but quickly began to share space with Antonelli, Verstappen and Hamilton.
Antonelli recorded 1min12s704 and took the lead, before Verstappen responded with 1min12s499 at the end of Q2. Hadjar impressed again by setting the third fastest time, very close to his Red Bull teammate. Hamilton finished the session in sixth.
Unable to return to the track, Bortoleto was officially classified in 16th. Nico Hülkenberg also missed Q3, eliminated in 13th. With this, Audi saw the expectation created by the free practices, in which both cars constantly remained among the top ten, disappear.
Read more MotoGP: Márquez gives no chances to rivals and wins Sprint in Hungary
Q3- The fight for pole was intense from the first laps. Norris opened the proceedings with 1min12s765, but was soon surpassed by Hamilton. Antonelli then took the lead with 1min12s375, just one thousandth ahead of Verstappen.
While the battle for pole unfolded, Ferrari faced problems. Leclerc had to return to the pits during the first half of Q3, forcing the mechanics to work quickly to get him back on track for the decisive attempt.
In the final minutes, everyone returned to the pits to put on new soft tires and go for the last attempt. Leclerc provisionally took pole, Hamilton moved up to second, and Verstappen immediately responded with a lap that seemed enough to secure pole position.
But Antonelli was still to come. The last driver to complete his fast lap, the Italian found time mainly in the third sector and recorded 1min12s051, reclaiming first place and securing pole position. Over the radio, Mercedes reported that the difference to Verstappen was just 43 thousandths.
A few seconds later, Leclerc lost control of the car, touched the guard-rail and abandoned his final lap, ending any chance of improving his position.
The result confirms Mercedes’ evolution throughout the weekend. After a Friday dominated by Ferrari, with Leclerc leading FP1 and Hamilton finishing FP2 in front, the German team responded at the decisive moment. Antonelli was fastest in FP3 and converted that performance into pole position.
Pole gains even more importance in Monte Carlo, where overtaking remains an extremely difficult task. With this, Antonelli starts as the favorite for victory in this Sunday’s race (7), which will start at 10 am (Brasília time) and will feature 78 laps through the narrow streets of the Principality. Follow LIVE in REAL TIME on F1Mania.net.
Check out the starting grid for the Monaco GP 2026:
1) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1’12.051
2) Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’12.094
3) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1’12.279
4) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1’12.351
5) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’12.434
6) George Russell (Mercedes), 1’12.445
7) Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’12.624
8) Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’12.765
9) Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’13.226
10) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’13.412
11) Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes), 1’13.787
12) Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes), 1’13.815
13) Nico Hülkenberg (Audi), 1’13.902
14) Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’13.995
15) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’14.248
16) Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), s/tempo
17) Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari), 1’14.722
18) Sergio Pérez (Cadillac/Ferrari), 1’14.747
19) Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari), 1’14.814
20) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac/Ferrari), 1’15.283
21) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’15.349
22) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’16.061
