Kimi Antonelli takes Monaco pole, edging Verstappen by 0.043s as Ferrari locks out row two

Qualifying showdown

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) took pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix with a lap of 1'12.051, the fastest time of the weekend. The 19-year-old Italian, already quickest in the third free practice session earlier on Saturday, delivered his lap late in Q3 to deny local favourite Charles Leclerc, who had set a strong time moments before. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) split the Ferraris to join Antonelli on the front row, just 0.043 seconds off the pole time.

Un grandissimo Kimi Antonelli ha piazzato la zampata nel Principato all'ultimo respiro delle qualifiche, prendendosi la pole position più giovane nella storia del GP di Monaco.

Ferrari's mixed Saturday

Ferrari entered qualifying with momentum after Leclerc and Hamilton had dominated Friday practice. Leclerc topped Q1 with a 1'13.293, and the Scuderia looked poised to fight for pole. In the end, Hamilton qualified third and Leclerc fourth, leaving the team disappointed after setting the pace earlier in the weekend. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur was absent from the circuit, hospitalised ahead of the race weekend.

Session interruptions and eliminations

Q1 was red-flagged with roughly two minutes remaining after Gabriel Bortoleto crashed at the chicane after the tunnel. The Audi driver was unhurt, but the incident caused a several-minute stoppage and heavy traffic once the session resumed. Eliminated in Q1 were Esteban Ocon, Sergio Perez, Oliver Bearman, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll. George Russell scraped through to Q2 after a late push.

Q2 saw Verstappen set the pace with a 1'12.499, ahead of Antonelli and Isack Hadjar. Leclerc was fourth and Hamilton sixth. McLaren continued to struggle, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fifth and seventh respectively, both within half a second. Eliminated at this stage were Alexander Albon, Carlos Sainz, Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Arvid Lindblad, and Bortoleto. Russell again had a difficult session but progressed to Q3.

French drivers' fortunes

Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Pierre Gasly both had positive afternoons, qualifying fifth and ninth respectively, though they were some distance from the front-running battle. Esteban Ocon was eliminated in Q1, alongside his Haas teammate Oliver Bearman.

Championship context

Antonelli arrives in Monaco as the World Championship leader, chasing a fifth consecutive victory. The Monaco Grand Prix, the sixth round of the season, takes place on Sunday 7 June on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, making grid position especially valuable.

Starting grid

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 5. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), 6. Lando Norris (McLaren), 7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 8. George Russell (Mercedes), 9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 10. Alexander Albon (Williams).