2026 Monaco Grand Prix Review: Antonelli Wins Chaotic Monte Carlo

Kimi Antonelli converted pole into a commanding victory around the streets of Monte Carlo, surviving a race of seven retirements, two crashes at the same corner and a penalty dispute that took three months and an appeal court to settle.

It was the Italian's fifth win in six grands prix and it stretched his championship lead to 66 points. Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari, 6.2 seconds back, with Isack Hadjar completing the podium for Red Bull.

Verstappen Gone Before the First Corner

The race turned before it began. Max Verstappen had qualified on the front row alongside Antonelli, then suffered an anti-stall problem as the lights went out.

He dropped to the back of the field and retired almost immediately. At a circuit where overtaking is close to impossible, losing the only driver who had matched Antonelli's pace all weekend removed the race's main threat inside a few hundred metres.

Antonelli Simply Drove Away

With the front row cleared, Antonelli did what Monaco rewards. He built a gap, managed his tyres and never invited a mistake.

Hamilton kept him honest for a while and gave Ferrari a strong result on a weekend when the team needed one. But this was a controlled win rather than a contested one, and Antonelli looked entirely comfortable throughout.

Two Crashes, One Corner

Monaco found its drama late. Lance Stroll crashed at Antony Noghes with around a dozen laps remaining, bringing out the safety car.

Then, shortly after the restart, Charles Leclerc crashed at precisely the same corner, forcing a red flag for track inspection. For the local driver it was a painful way to end a race he has never won, and he disputed the blame over team radio.

A Grim Afternoon for McLaren's Norris and for Russell

Lando Norris retired with a power unit failure, an expensive result for a driver who had been in the championship fight and who could not afford a weekend with nothing to show for it.

George Russell fared little better. He was handed a drive-through penalty for failing to serve an earlier one and finished twelfth, outside the points for the second consecutive weekend.

Oscar Piastri at least salvaged fourth for McLaren, ahead of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad for Racing Bulls. Fernando Alonso took tenth, Aston Martin's first top ten finish of the season.

The Third Place That Took Three Months

Monaco's most unusual story unfolded long after the cars had gone. Pierre Gasly crossed the line third for Alpine, then received two five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him to seventh and promoting Hadjar to the podium.

Alpine lodged a right of review, and on 12 June the stewards upheld it and rescinded both penalties, restoring Gasly to third. McLaren and Red Bull then appealed that decision.

The FIA International Court of Appeal heard the case on 25 August and ruled on 3 September that both penalties stood. Gasly returned to seventh and Hadjar took back his first podium of the season, nearly three months after the chequered flag.

The Championship After Monaco

Antonelli left Monte Carlo on 156 points and in complete control of the title race. Hamilton's second place lifted him to second in the standings, 66 points adrift, with Russell slipping behind his team mate after a second blank weekend.

Mercedes had every reason to be satisfied even so. Five wins from six races is the sort of start that decides championships, and Antonelli was the only driver on the grid making no mistakes at all.

Looking Ahead: Barcelona

Next came Barcelona, a circuit that flatters a well balanced car and punishes one that is not. Ferrari arrived with momentum from Hamilton's Monaco podium, and would leave with rather more than that.

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Editor's note, 3 September 2026: the classification above reflects the FIA International Court of Appeal's ruling on the Alpine pit lane penalties, which settled third place in Isack Hadjar's favour.