Loading
The 2026 Monaco Grand Prix delivered one of those races that will be talked about for years, blending relentless pace at the front with chaos, penalties and late-race drama behind. On the tight streets of Monte Carlo, Kimi Antonelli produced a drive of stunning authority to claim a famous victory, extending his incredible winning streak and tightening his grip on the championship.
From pole position, Antonelli never truly looked threatened. Despite the constant traffic, multiple Safety Cars and a red-flag stoppage, the 19-year-old controlled the race from lights to flag. He led every single lap, built gaps at will and absorbed pressure during restarts with a calmness well beyond his years.
By the chequered flag, Antonelli crossed the line over six seconds clear of Lewis Hamilton, sealing his fifth consecutive Grand Prix win and extending his championship lead to a staggering 66 points. In the cooldown room, Hamilton summed it up perfectly, telling his young rival: “That is a lot of wins now buddy – you are catching me up.”
Hamilton’s race was one of quiet efficiency. He held second place on merit for most of the afternoon and managed his tyres well through a complicated strategic picture. A five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane briefly put his result under threat, but Ferrari had enough margin to retain P2.
Charles Leclerc’s home race, however, ended in bitter disappointment. After running third for much of the race, the Monegasque crashed at the final corner following the Safety Car restart, the same fate that had earlier caught out Lance Stroll. For Ferrari, it was a case of mixed emotions on a day when a podium double looked possible.
Behind the leaders, Isack Hadjar emerged as one of the standout performers of the race. Despite persistent power issues and multiple investigations hanging over him late on, the Red Bull driver kept his head and ultimately inherited third place after penalties reshuffled the order.
Gasly had crossed the line in P3 on the road, but two five-second penalties dropped the Alpine driver to seventh. That opened the door for Hadjar to claim a deserved Monaco podium, ahead of Oscar Piastri and a quietly impressive Liam Lawson.
The Monaco Grand Prix lived up to its reputation for punishing even the smallest mistakes. George Russell endured a nightmare afternoon, collecting penalties for pit lane speeding and failing to serve an earlier sanction correctly. A drive-through after the red flag restart dropped him out of the points entirely.
Williams rolled the dice with team tactics, using Alex Albon to back up the pack while Carlos Sainz ran long. Ultimately, Albon finished eighth, while Sainz’s race ended in retirement after late contact. Further back, Hulkenberg’s collision with Sainz earned him a post-race penalty, promoting Sergio Perez into the final points-paying position despite a race littered with infringements.
The race saw a long list of retirements. Max Verstappen’s hopes vanished almost immediately with a first-lap issue, while Bottas, Bearman, Norris, Stroll and Leclerc also failed to see the flag. A red flag for track clean-up at Turn 19 set up a dramatic standing restart, but even then Antonelli remained untouchable.
Antonelli’s victory in Monaco feels like a statement win. Dominant, composed and relentless, he is beginning to turn a title fight into something far more one-sided. Behind him, the battle for podiums and points remains fiercely competitive, but on the streets of Monte Carlo, this race belonged to one driver alone.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
Comments (0)
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Loading posts...