The 2026 Formula 1 World Championship appears to have an absolute owner, and it is barely 19 years old. Kimi Antonelli once again delivered a blow of incontestable authority by taking over the mythical streets of Monte Carlo. The Italian Mercedes driver started from pole position and did not give up the lead in any of the 78 laps of the competition, confirming a devastating pace that distances him massively in the drivers’ table.
With this victory, Antonelli breaks a record for precocity by becoming the youngest winner in the history of the Monaco Grand Prix. When he got out of the car, the Mercedes driver did not hide his happiness at the car’s performance:
“It was a very solid weekend. The team did an incredible job and the race was amazing too. It was one of those rare days where the pace was fantastic and everything ran wonderfully and perfectly.”
Hamilton equals a legend and chaos shakes Ferrari
Second place was in the hands of Lewis Hamilton, who rescued the papers for Ferrari on a bittersweet day. With this result, the seven-time world champion equals the historical mark of eight podiums in Monaco, a record that belonged alone to the eternal Ayrton Senna.
The joy in the Scuderia could not be complete due to the misfortune of the local hero. Charles Leclerc had been completing a solid performance in the podium area, but with twelve laps remaining he suffered a critical brake failure that led him to crash into the walls of the last corner. The impact severely damaged an asphalt plate at Turn 19, forcing race management to display the red flag and halt action for half an hour to repair the track. In the restart for the last 10 laps, Antonelli remained immovable in front.
Who also didn’t have a good day was Max Verstappen. The Dutchman started second, but a devastating mechanical problem left his Red Bull stuck on the starting grid, forcing him to abandon on the first lap of the race.
Dance of sanctions: The pain of Checo Pérez and the benefit of Alonso
The FIA offices worked overtime after the checkered flag, substantially modifying the Top 10. Isack Hadjar, overcoming power failures in his Red Bull engine, consolidated his position in third place on the podium. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) had crossed the finish line in that third place, but received a penalty of 10 total seconds (two 5-second penalties) for exceeding the speed on pit road, dropping to seventh place.
The most dramatic resolution was suffered by the Mexican Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez. The driver from Guadalajara had finished in tenth position, a result that meant the first official point in the history of the debuting Cadillac team in Formula 1. Unfortunately, the stewards applied a post-race penalty that sent him directly to fifteenth place. This punishment directly benefited Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), who advanced to sixth place, closing within the top ten along with Alex Albon (4th with Williams) and Esteban Ocon (5th with Haas). Meanwhile, George Russell (Mercedes) was left out of the points zone after receiving another penalty in the final stretch.
Final Classification – Monaco Grand Prix 2026 (Top 10)
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) — Winner / Overall leader
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) — 8th Podium in Monaco (Senna Record)
Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) — Second podium in F1
Alex Albon (Williams)
Esteban Ocon (Haas)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) — Moves up one position due to someone else’s sanction
Pierre Gasly (Alpine) — Penalized for speed in the pits
(Pilot in points zone)
(Pilot in points zone)
(Pilot in points zone)
(Dropout of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. George Russell finished out of points due to suspension).
