Kimi Antonelli caused a sensation in the streets of Monaco by securing pole position for the 2026 Grand Prix.
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Already impressive during free practice, Kimi Antonelli converted his potential at the most crucial moment of the weekend. The Mercedes driver secured pole position on the Monaco circuit, dominating a particularly hard-fought qualifying session.
From Q1, the Ferraris seemed to have taken the upper hand. Charles Leclerc quickly took the lead ahead of Max Verstappen and the McLarens, showing promising pace in front of his home crowd. But behind the Monegasque, Antonelli was gradually gaining momentum.
The first session interruption occurred after an error by Gabriel Bortoleto at the harbor chicane. The Audi driver lightly touched the inside barrier, damaging his steering and causing a red flag. After the restart, several drivers managed to improve their lap times, but some important names were eliminated prematurely, notably Sergio Pérez, Fernando Alonso, and Esteban Ocon.
Verstappen wakes up Red Bull at the best moment
Q2 marked a real change in hierarchy. While Ferrari seemed to control the proceedings until then, Red Bull showed its true potential.
Max Verstappen began to set reference lap times, before Antonelli immediately responded with a series of impressive laps. The Italian even went below the times set so far during the weekend, confirming that Mercedes possessed a formidable weapon for the pole fight.
In the final moments, Verstappen ultimately set the best time of the session, sending a clear message to his opponents. Behind him, Isack Hadjar also impressed by placing his Red Bull high up the standings.
However, the Williams failed to cross this decisive threshold, as did Nico Hülkenberg and Franco Colapinto.
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Leclerc makes one mistake too many, Antonelli strikes hard
Q3 offered exceptional suspense. On his first attempt, Antonelli made a big statement with a reference lap time, beating Verstappen by just one thousandth of a second.
The situation became complicated for Charles Leclerc. After a big mistake at Massenet on his first flying lap, the Ferrari driver had to abandon his attempt and stake his entire qualifying on a single final lap.
The Monegasque then took to the track before his rivals to avoid any risk related to a potential red flag. His provisional lap time allowed him to take the lead, but the Verstappen threat was still to come.
The four-time world champion responded with a remarkable performance and seemed to hold pole. But Antonelli had saved the best for last. In a perfectly executed final lap, the Mercedes driver regained the advantage by just 43 thousandths.
Lewis Hamilton completes the virtual front row by finishing third, while Leclerc has to settle for fourth place after also touching the Tabac barrier on his last attempt.
At just 19 years old, Antonelli thus secures one of the most prestigious poles of his young career and will start Sunday from the ideal position on a circuit where overtaking remains extremely difficult.
Read more Kimi Antonelli strikes hard in Monaco in FP3 and makes Ferrari tremble before qualifying
2026 F1 Monaco GP Qualifying Classification:
