2026 Monaco GP Qualifying: Antonelli delivers Monaco masterclass

Kimi Antonelli added another remarkable chapter to his breakthrough 2026 campaign by securing pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, producing a stunning late lap to deny Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in one of the most dramatic qualifying sessions of the season.

The Mercedes star had already looked formidable throughout the weekend, topping final practice earlier in the day, but he saved his best performance for the moment that mattered most. In a breathtaking finale to qualifying around the streets of Monte Carlo, Antonelli delivered a lap of 1m 12.051s to snatch pole position and secure the first Monaco pole of his Formula 1 career.

Formula One History Recommends

• 

  2026 Monaco GP FP1: Leclerc leads Ferrari one-two

• 

  2026 Monaco GP FP2: Hamilton edges Leclerc

• 

  2026 Monaco GP FP3: Antonelli strikes back for Mercedes

• 

  2026 Monaco Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The result marked another major statement from the championship leader around a circuit where track position is often more valuable than outright race pace. Antonelli’s achievement handed him a golden opportunity to extend his advantage at the top of the standings.

2026 Moaco Grand Prix Qualifying Results

2026 Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying, 6 June 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:13.599	1:12.704	1:12.051	28
2	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:13.490	1:12.499	1:12.094	26
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:13.777	1:12.934	1:12.279	28
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:13.293	1:12.774	1:12.351	29
5	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	1:14.408	1:12.722	1:12.434	25
6	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:14.214	1:13.238	1:12.445	28
7	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:14.159	1:12.983	1:12.624	29
8	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:13.630	1:12.919	1:12.765	28
9	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:14.469	1:13.762	1:13.226	32
10	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:14.498	1:13.471	1:13.412	29
11	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:14.321	1:13.787		24
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:14.348	1:13.815		23
13	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	1:13.923	1:13.902		21
14	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:14.573	1:13.995		24
15	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	1:14.685	1:14.248		23
16	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	1:14.683			10
17	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:14.722			14
18	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	1:14.747			12
19	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:14.814			14
20	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	1:15.283			13
21	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:15.349			13
22	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:16.061			11

The fight for pole proved fiercely competitive throughout the final phase of qualifying.

Antonelli initially established himself as the benchmark during the opening runs of Q3, but the order continued to evolve as drivers found more confidence and extracted every available fraction of performance from the rapidly improving circuit.

Verstappen was among those to challenge the Mercedes driver, with the Red Bull star delivering a superb lap that briefly elevated him to the top of the timing screens as the session entered its decisive moments. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also looked poised to continue the strong pace shown by the Scuderia throughout practice, with the Monegasque driver repeatedly threatening the leading times.

However, the final minutes delivered the kind of drama Monaco qualifying has become famous for.

Antonelli launched one last attack around the Principality and pieced together a near-perfect lap, stopping the clock at 1m 12.051s. The effort immediately restored him to the summit of the timesheets and ultimately proved unbeatable.

Verstappen pushed hard in response but fell agonisingly short, ending the session just 0.043s behind Antonelli after posting a 1m 12.094s. The tiny margin highlighted just how closely matched the leading contenders had become heading into Sunday’s race.

Hamilton ensured Ferrari remained firmly in the battle by claiming third position with a lap only a little over two tenths away from pole. The seven-time world champion had looked increasingly comfortable throughout the weekend and once again demonstrated his enduring speed around one of Formula 1’s most demanding circuits.

For Leclerc, qualifying ended in frustration despite showing the pace to challenge for pole.

The home favourite endured a rollercoaster Q3 session that featured multiple aborted laps as he searched for the perfect balance around the narrow Monte Carlo streets. At one stage, Leclerc briefly rose to the top of the standings and looked capable of delivering a pole-winning effort in front of his home crowd.

Yet his final attempt unravelled in dramatic fashion.

Pushing to reclaim first place in the closing moments, Leclerc clipped the barriers and damaged his Ferrari, ending his challenge and leaving him fourth on the grid. While the incident was relatively minor, it brought an abrupt end to what had otherwise been a highly competitive qualifying performance from the Monaco native.

Behind the leading quartet, Isack Hadjar continued his impressive weekend by securing fifth position for Red Bull. The Frenchman recovered superbly from the crash that interrupted his Friday practice running and produced one of his strongest qualifying performances of the season.

George Russell completed the third row in sixth, although the Mercedes driver never appeared entirely comfortable throughout the session and struggled to match the pace shown by his championship-leading team-mate.

McLaren’s hopes of challenging near the front failed to fully materialise despite a cleaner session than Friday’s troubled running. Oscar Piastri qualified seventh, narrowly ahead of team-mate Lando Norris in eighth as the Woking-based squad prepared for its milestone 1000th Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly continued his encouraging form by reaching Q3 and taking ninth position, while Liam Lawson completed the top ten for Racing Bulls after another solid qualifying display.

Just outside the top ten, Williams once again found themselves narrowly missing out on a Q3 appearance. Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz qualified 11th and 12th, respectively, with both drivers left to wonder whether a few extra hundredths could have transformed their afternoon.

Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg followed in 13th position ahead of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the Q2 runners in 15th.

Gabriel Bortoleto’s qualifying session proved particularly disappointing after the Audi driver made contact with the barriers during Q1. The damage prevented him from taking part in Q2, leaving the Brazilian classified 16th despite showing competitive pace earlier in the weekend.

Further down the order, Haas endured a difficult afternoon as neither Esteban Ocon nor Ollie Bearman managed to progress beyond Q1. Ocon qualified 17th, while Bearman’s troubled weekend continued with 19th position on the grid.

Separating the Haas pair was Cadillac’s Sergio Perez, who secured 18th place after another challenging session for the American outfit.

Cadillac’s difficulties were further highlighted by Valtteri Bottas qualifying 20th, capping off a disappointing day for the team following several reliability concerns throughout practice.

Aston Martin endured an even tougher qualifying session, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll unable to escape the bottom of the order. Alonso finished 21st, while Stroll brought up the rear in 22nd.

While several teams left qualifying with questions to answer, the spotlight belonged firmly to Antonelli. The Italian’s magnificent lap secured one of the most prestigious pole positions in Formula 1 and placed him in the strongest possible position heading into Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, where overtaking opportunities remain notoriously scarce, and victory often begins with success on Saturday afternoon.