14:23
Hamilton reports heavy wear and high temps on his rear tyres. The Monaco GP is never taken at this pace, so this is a step into the unknown for everyone.
Start of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix
F1 Monaco LIVE: Antonelli wins chaotic GP, Hamilton second
Live coverage of Sunday at the F1 Monaco Grand Prix
KEY MOMENTS
- Antonelli took pole by 0.043s from Verstappen
- Verstappen stalls and retires on lap one
- Leclerc crashes as track breaks up
The sixth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the Monaco Grand Prix.
A divisive event among the F1 fanbase, Monaco is still viewed as the jewel in the championship's crown, with the narrow, twisting streets offering a challenge seen nowhere else on the calendar. With no time to rest on the 19-turn, 3.337km layout, even the smallest of mistakes can carry a huge penalty.
Ferrari had been the team to beat across Friday, but Saturday saw Red Bull and Mercedes close the margin, with McLaren briefly providing a threat at the top of the time sheets.
Kimi Antonelli won out by 0.043s in a dramatic qualifying session that saw pole change hands at a startling rate. Max Verstappen completes the front row, with Lewis Hamilton heading the second row.
George Russell faces the prospect of losing significant ground in the championship battle, after struggling with his Mercedes and being unable to match team-mate Antonelli.
With Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon just outside the top 10, Williams will look to engineer their way into the points with an alternate pit strategy, possibly gambling on an inevitable safety car intervention.
2026 Monaco Grand Prix Saturday schedule
Grand Prix: 2:00pm BST - 4:00pm BST
07 Jun 2026
14:25
Top 10 update
After 16 laps, the top 10 is:
- Antonelli
- Hamilton
- Leclerc
- Hadjar
- Russell
- Piastri
- Gasly
- Norris
- Lawson
- Albon
14:21
Hamilton is slowly closing on Antonelli at the front, but this is more due to the Mercedes driver looking after his brakes.
14:20
Looking at the replays, that was a slam dunk penalty for Perez, who made the easy mistake of pulling forward into the grid slot that should have been left vacant for Gabriel Bortoleto's Audi.
It seems like a silly error, but it is very easy to do.
14:16
Ocon pits from P15 and fits a set of hard tyres. It's quite likely that all the stops will be completed early today, but fortune could favour the driver who gambles on a safety car and stays out until deep in the race.
14:15
Cadillac smoke and penalty
Bottas has just reported increased smoke coming from the front brakes of his Cadillac. He had the problem yesterday, and Perez had the issue earlier in the weekend too.
Speaking of Perez, he has a drive-through penalty for being out of position at the start.
14:13
Antonelli is following his own rules here. After eight laps, he is 4.5s clear of Hamilton, and is extending the advantage constantly. Normally, the leader would back up the pack in order to stop gaps forming.
14:12
Perez is now under investigation for a false start. He's currently in P16 after a strong start and a pit stop.
14:10
No further investigation on Russell. He is a very, very lucky boy
14:08
Alonso pits at the end of lap three. He switches from the medium to the soft tyres, so does not need to stop again, but a 75 lap stint is a huge ask on those tyres.
14:07
In fifth place, Russell is now being looked at for a false start, being out of position in his grid slot. That is usually a slam dunk penalty.
14:05
Verstappen OUT
Bearman stops for a front wing change and Verstappen boxes. He is out after one lap!
14:05
An absolute nightmare for Verstappen, but a dream for Ferrari.
"What should I do," asks Verstappen. "Just bring it home, Max," is the response. He's lacking any kind of power.
14:03
Verstappen stalls and drops to the back. Hamilton and Leclerc are second and third!
14:03
We are racing in Monaco!
We are racing!
14:03
We're back on the grid.
14:01
Formation lap
Here we go on the formation lap as the tension begins to rise.
13:59
An update from Audi on the Bortoleto situation: "Gabriel’s car had an issue on the way to the grid, which caused the car to shut off. The crew managed to reset all systems, and Gabriel will be able to take the start from the pitlane."
13:55
A couple of interesting stats from the weekend. Should Antonelli win, he will equal Hamilton's career-best winning streak. Despite having seven titles, Hamilton has never won six races on the bounce.
Second, P21 on the grid was Alonso's lowest qualifying result in Monaco. Even with Minardi, he managed 18th. This just highlights Aston Martin's current plight.
13:51
Monaco GP Starting Grid
| 2026 F1 Monaco Grand Prix - Starting Grid | |||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team |
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Scuderia Ferrari HP |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Oracle Red Bull Racing |
| 6 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team |
| 8 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team |
| 10 | Liam Lawson | NZL | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team |
| 11 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams F1 Team |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Atlassian Williams F1 Team |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Audi Revolut F1 Team |
| 14 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | BWT Alpine F1 Team |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | GBR | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | TGR Haas F1 Team |
| 18 | Sergio Perez | MEX | Cadillac F1 Team |
| 19 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | TGR Haas F1 Team |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Cadillac F1 Team |
| 21 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team |
| PIT | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Audi Revolut F1 Team |
13:48
As is clear from the blue skies and bright sun, the risk of rain for the race is 0%.
13:47
The note on the timing screen is unfathomable. Plenty of time before the start to investigate and sort any potential sanctions. This does not need to wait. This issue surrounds a practice start infringement, an issue that is black and white.
"FIA STEWARDS: INCIDENT INVOLVING CAR 11 (PER) WILL BE INVESTIGATED AFTER THE RACE - FAILING TO FOLLOW RACE DIRECTORS INSTRUCTIONS – PRACTICE START INFRINGEMENT (14:20:23)"
13:44
It's time for the anthem, and then all focus turns to the race, and away from the celebrity faces.
13:43
Bortoleto confirms that after his stall, he will have to start from the pit lane, but only "if" they can make the start at all.
13:41
The grid is the typical Monaco chaos, with every inch of space filled with celebrity faces. File this under 'only in Monaco'.