Qualifying

Monaco’s unforgiving streets once again took centre stage on Saturday afternoon as Formula 1 drivers prepared for the most important qualifying session of the season. With overtaking notoriously difficult around the tight confines of Monte Carlo, securing a strong grid position carried greater significance than at almost any other venue on the calendar.

The build-up to qualifying suggested a fiercely contested battle for pole position. Ferrari had set the pace throughout Friday’s running, with hometown hero Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton consistently among the frontrunners, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli surged to the top of the timesheets in final practice for Mercedes on Saturday morning.

With Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all appearing to have a realistic shot at the front row, the stage was set for a dramatic hour around one of Formula 1’s most iconic circuits as the fight for pole position got underway.

Q1

The first qualifying session began with the drivers eager to bank representative times before the track gripped up. The session was interrupted as Gabriel Bortoleto found the barriers at the Nouvelle Chicane, damaging the track rod on his Audi and bringing out a red flag. 

After a brief delay, the session resumed and the battle to avoid elimination intensified as the lap times continued to drop on a track that got faster as the session progressed. 

Carlos Sainz found time on his final lap pushing the Haas of Esteban Ocon out, followed by Sergio Perez, Oliver Bearman, Valterri Bottas, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. 

Q2

The trend of a tight session continues in Q2, with less than a second covering the top 10 as the drivers navigated the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli remained in contention at the front, while the Ferrari’s of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton demonstrated the speed of the Scuderia. 

As the session entered its decisive moments, Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar emerged as surprise contenders for a place in the top 10 shootout. However, there was disappointment for several established names, with Carlos Sainz and Nico Hülkenberg among those unable to progress to Q3 after finding themselves on the wrong side of an increasingly competitive midfield battle.

Q3

Q3 delivered the drama Monaco qualifying is renowned for, with the fight for pole position going down to the final moments of the session. Charles Leclerc initially delighted the home crowd by moving to the top of the timesheets, while Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton remained firmly in contention as the track continued to evolve.

The final runs produced a breathtaking conclusion. Verstappen briefly looked to have secured pole after producing a superb lap around the streets of Monte Carlo, only for championship leader Kimi Antonelli to respond with a sensational effort of his own. The Mercedes driver found the time where it mattered most, snatching pole position by just 0.043 seconds and continuing his remarkable start to the 2026 season.

Hamilton secured third place for Ferrari, while Leclerc’s hopes of claiming pole at his home race came to a dramatic end when he clipped the barriers on his final flying lap. Despite the late contact, the Monegasque driver still secured fourth on the grid ahead of Isack Hadjar and George Russell.

Antonelli’s pole position capped off a fiercely competitive qualifying session and handed the Italian the ideal opportunity to extend his championship advantage on a circuit where track position is often everything.