What seemed like a rarity is now a trend. Andrea Kimi Antonelli once again demonstrated that he is the main protagonist of the 2026 Formula 1 season dominating from start to finish the Monaco Grand Prix after leading every stage of the race on the streets of Monte Carlo to achieve his fifth consecutive victory and solidify his position at the top of the championship.
The 19-year-old Italian started from pole position and never lost the lead. The competition became even easier for him when Max Verstappen, one of his main challengers, retired due to a mechanical issue in the early laps. From there, Antonelli controlled the pace of the race and built a solid lead over the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Behind the leaders, Franco Colapinto was trying to make his way up from the 14th starting position. Verstappen's retirement allowed him to quickly advance one place and stay within the second group in a race where overtaking is usually an almost impossible mission.
While Antonelli led comfortably, the battle in the midfield was marked by pit strategies and minimal differences between the cars. The Argentine managed to stay competitive and even climbed to 12th place at various points in the race thanks to incidents and pit stops of his rivals.
However, his situation changed after his pit stop. In addition to a slower-than-expected stop from Alpine, Colapinto received a five-second penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane, a sanction that affected his final result.
The race gained drama in the decisive phase. Although Antonelli had built a lead of nearly 30 seconds over Hamilton, a crash by Lance Stroll forced the deployment of the Safety Car with just over ten laps remaining, erasing all the advantage the leader had accumulated.
Problems continued immediately after. At the restart, Charles Leclerc suffered a heavy crash at the same corner of the circuit, apparently due to a brake failure, and ended up against the barriers in front of his home crowd. The incident first led to a new neutralization and then to a red flag for the marshals to inspect and repair damage to the asphalt in the sector.
After a long interruption, the competition resumed with a standing start and only ten laps to go. Antonelli left no room for surprises: he managed the restart with authority and pulled away again to seal a new victory, this time with a six-second lead over Hamilton, who achieved his second consecutive second place.
Behind them, Isack Hadjar completed the podium with Racing Bulls, although he was under investigation for an alleged infringement during the red flag period. Oscar Piastri finished fourth for McLaren, followed by Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. Pierre Gasly initially crossed the finish line in third place, but a ten-second penalty relegated him to seventh place. Completing the Top 10 were Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, and Sergio Pérez, who not only scored his first point of the season but also the first point for Cadillac, although he is also under investigation.
For his part, after the final restart, Colapinto lost positions amid a series of tight maneuvers. The Argentine was even involved in contact with Carlos Sainz, which further complicated his race. He ultimately crossed the line in 15th place, last among the drivers who managed to finish.
Driver Standings after Monaco
1st - Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 156 points
2nd - Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 90 points
3rd - George Russell (Mercedes) - 88 points
4th - Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 75 points
5th - Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 60 points
6th - Lando Norris (McLaren) - 58 points
7th - Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 43 points
8th - Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) - 29 points
9th - PIERRE GASLY (Alpine) - 26 points
10th - Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 26 points
11th - Oliver Bearman (Haas) - 18 points
