Monaco 2026
Round 6 of 22: the weekend that typically sells only fantasy finally delivered on track
For much of its history, Monaco has traded on a fantasy.
That’s done the heavy lifting, because the racing itself often gives us very little. The cars have outgrown the streets, the drivers tend to file around in formation, and many of us agree to pretend that qualifying on Saturday satiates our hunger for a real racing spectacle.
This year the fantasy arrived right on schedule. Emily in Paris filmed part of its sixth and final season in the paddock. Kim Kardashian made her much-awaited debut. Yachts, parties, and celebrities abound.
But miraculously, the racing decided to show up too. A bizarre race, no doubt, but one that kept me unable to look away.
Several drivers can call this a home race, but none more so than Charles Leclerc, who announced a long-term Ferrari contract extension on Wednesday. The man’s loyalty should be studied.
Ferrari had a lot going on this weekend. The same weekend handed them a podium through Lewis and a race-ending wall through Charles, with their team principal watching qualifying from a hospital bed. Medical details are unreported, but Fred Vasseur was back for Sunday’s race. Wishing him well.
Here’s how the results shook out.
RACE
DNF = Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Valtteri Bottas, Carlos Sainz, Ollie Bearman, Lance Stroll, Charles Leclerc
Quali summary
Race summary
My Top Takeaways
The pit lane speed limiter debacle feels a little unfair. Five drivers were awarded penalties during the race for speeding in the pit lane. Some even got multiple offenses. When enough drivers do that, you have to wonder: is it really the driver’s fault? Apparently it had to do with a slightly more open pit lane towards the end where Cadillac now sits, which invited drivers to just barely cut the white line denoting the fast lane. Pierre Gasly, who crossed the finish line in third and briefly celebrated his first Monaco podium, had it stripped away for going 0.1km/h and 0.4km/h over the 60km/h limit. George Russell got a five-second penalty for the same, failed to serve it due to a team miscommunication, and was then awarded a second penalty that dropped him out of the points. It’s a fair argument to say, “well, the dozen+ other drivers didn’t do it.” But I’d rather results not feel like a technicality.
Lewis Hamilton is reborn. Lewis is now second in the Drivers’ Championship. Let that sink in. Outside of the physical car, so much of an F1 result comes down to trust and the unglamorous work of building an environment where a driver can perform, and Lewis seems to have finally found his groove. Back-to-back P2s, calling his race engineer “the Italian Bono,” and hard-launching his girlfriend? All in a weekend’s work. Let’s keep it rolling. Could an eighth be in the cards?
Monaco MVPs
Kimi Antonelli. His fifth consecutive race win, with no signs of stopping. Monaco rewards experience, which makes his performance all the more impressive. My favorite thing about watching Kimi is how joyful and calm he makes it all seem. I recapped the many records he’s obliterated in the video below.
VCARB. Their best result since 2021, with Liam Lawson equalling his career best in fifth and rookie Arvid Lindblad taking his highest finish yet in sixth. Solid double points haul and I’m glad they got their jump off the Red Bull Energy Station.
Stat of the Week
McLaren celebrated 1,000 races this weekend, in the same place where it all started.
Courtesy: McLaren F1
Radio of the Week
My exact thoughts.
More details and pictures from my experience at the Monaco GP last year:
We’re back to double headers in what feels like forever. Here comes Barcelona! Several teams are bringing substantial upgrades so stay tuned.
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