2026 Monaco GP FP3: Antonelli strikes back for Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli delivered a timely reminder of Mercedes’ strength ahead of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, ending Ferrari’s grip on the practice sessions by setting the fastest lap of FP3 around the streets of Monte Carlo.

After Ferrari had controlled Friday’s running with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton sharing the top positions across both practice sessions, Antonelli responded when it mattered most. The Italian produced a stunning lap of 1m 12.720s on the soft tyres to finish more than three tenths clear of Leclerc, while Hamilton completed the top three in another tightly contested session before qualifying.

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With the fight for the 2026 F1 World Championship continuing to intensify, the final practice session offered one last opportunity for teams to fine-tune their setups, complete qualifying simulations, and build confidence ahead of what many consider the most important qualifying hour of the entire season.

2026 Moaco Grand Prix FP3 Results

2026 Monaco Grand Prix FP3, 6 June 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:12.720	22
2	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.327s	32
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.331s	30
4	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.763s	23
5	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.942s	23
6	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.978s	20
7	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.100s	27
8	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+1.157s	25
9	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.286s	24
10	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.330s	22
11	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.558s	24
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+1.616s	26
13	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.760s	22
14	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.767s	18
15	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.867s	27
16	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.081s	24
17	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+2.198s	24
18	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+2.225s	19
19	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2.459s	21
20	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+2.731s	17
21	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+2.847s	26
22	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.201s	22

Before the green light shone at 12:30 local time, McLaren provided an update on Lando Norris’ troubled Friday. The team confirmed it had completed extensive overnight work on the Briton’s MCL40 after his FP2 stoppage at the Nouvelle Chicane. McLaren revealed it had broken curfew, within its permitted allocation, to replace the car’s wiring harness and ESME pack in an effort to recover lost track time ahead of Saturday’s crucial running.

Once the session began, it was Ferrari who immediately returned to the circuit. Leclerc and Hamilton were among the first drivers to head out, joined by Aston Martin’s pair, Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas and Racing Bulls racer Liam Lawson, who had endured a difficult start to the weekend while battling steering and lock-up issues around Monaco’s tightest corners.

However, it was Cadillac who became the first team to encounter trouble.

Bottas quickly reported a significant brake issue after smoke began pouring from his car. The Finn was forced to limp back to the pits as concerns mounted within the American squad. The problem continued a difficult weekend for Cadillac’s braking systems after team-mate Sergio Perez suffered a brake fire during Friday’s second practice session, an incident that ultimately triggered a red flag.

At the front of the field, Ferrari initially appeared set to continue where they left off.

Leclerc established the first representative benchmark with a 1m 15.184s lap, although the rapidly evolving track conditions suggested considerably faster times would follow. Hamilton soon demonstrated exactly that by becoming the first driver to break into the 1m14s bracket, eclipsing his team-mate’s effort by seven tenths of a second.

Norris then briefly announced himself in the battle at the front. Looking to recover the running he lost on Friday afternoon, the McLaren driver edged ahead of Hamilton by just 0.015s as lap times continued to tumble across the circuit.

With virtually the entire field running the red-walled soft compound tyres from the outset, the pace escalated rapidly. Mercedes began to emerge as a genuine contender as both George Russell and Antonelli climbed the order, comfortably surpassing the team’s Friday pace and challenging Ferrari’s position at the top of the timesheets.

The signs were becoming increasingly clear that qualifying could be far more competitive than Ferrari’s Friday dominance had suggested.

As the session approached its halfway point, Monaco’s unforgiving nature once again reminded drivers how little room for error exists around the Principality.

Franco Colapinto triggered a brief yellow flag period after spinning at the famous hairpin and making light contact with the barriers in his Alpine. Fortunately, the Argentine avoided serious damage and was able to continue before returning to the pits.

Alex Albon also endured a nervous moment at Sainte Devote, taking to the escape road after carrying too much speed into the corner. The Williams driver rejoined safely as the majority of the field returned to their garages to prepare for a final round of qualifying simulation laps.

What followed proved to be the defining moment of the session.

Antonelli pieced together a spectacular lap, finding significant gains through the opening two sectors before completing a 1m 12.720s effort that immediately became the fastest lap recorded all weekend. The Mercedes driver extracted every ounce of performance from his W17, delivering a benchmark that suddenly placed Ferrari under pressure heading into qualifying.

Any hopes of a late response were quickly interrupted.

Ollie Bearman suffered a heavy crash at Massenet after losing control of his Haas during a high-speed slide. The Briton struck the barriers heavily, scattering debris across the circuit and forcing race control to deploy the red flags. With only a handful of minutes remaining, the stoppage effectively eliminated one final opportunity for several drivers to improve.

Although the session eventually resumed, there was little time left for meaningful challenges to Antonelli’s benchmark.

Leclerc attempted to mount a response but was hampered by brake problems in the closing stages. The Monegasque driver reported that his brakes felt “horrendous” over team radio and ultimately had to settle for second place, 0.327s behind Antonelli’s leading time.

Hamilton finished just four thousandths behind his Ferrari team-mate in third position, ensuring Ferrari remained firmly in the fight despite missing out on a clean sweep of practice sessions. Russell backed up Mercedes’ encouraging pace by taking fourth, while Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

Audi continued their impressive Monaco form with another strong showing. Gabriel Bortoleto claimed an eye-catching seventh position as the German manufacturer maintained its run of top-10 practice performances around the Principality. Isack Hadjar and Norris occupied eighth and ninth respectively, while Nico Hulkenberg ensured both Audi cars finished inside the top ten.

Esteban Ocon ended the session 11th for Haas ahead of Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly and the damaged Haas of Bearman, who still managed to set a representative time before his accident.

Further down the order, Lawson and Arvid Lindblad were split by Albon, while Perez, Colapinto and Bottas followed. Aston Martin endured a difficult final practice session, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll occupying the final two positions on the timesheets.

With practice now complete, attention turns fully towards qualifying, scheduled to begin at 1600 local time. After three closely fought sessions featuring Ferrari pace, Mercedes resurgence and multiple incidents, the battle for pole position around Monaco’s historic streets remains finely balanced.