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Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli celebrates after qualifying in pole position - Yves Herman/Reuters
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It was always going to be a highlight of the 2026 season. This is what F1 is all about. The anticipation had been building for months, and the excitement in the paddock when we finally got there was palpable.
No, not qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, although that was not bad either.
Kim Kardashian’s first visit to the paddock since getting together with Lewis Hamilton at the start of the year was the money shot F1’s bigwigs, who literally rate their VIP guests by the number of social media followers they have (KK has approximately 445 million across her various platforms), had been waiting for.
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Kim Kardashian (right) speaks to her sister Khloe above the Ferrari garage during qualifying - Mark Sutton/Getty Images
Wearing what Vogue described as “a sheer black, contoured and embroidered bodysuit”, Kardashian watched on impassively through black shield sunglasses, but was ultimately left disappointed as her beau could only take third on the grid for Sunday’s race.
Hopes had been high that Ferrari, possibly even Hamilton, who is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment, could nab pole position, the most important of the season given how difficult it is to overtake here. The Scuderia had topped both practice sessions on Friday when they looked dominant. But Saturday did not run quite so smoothly. Team principal Fred Vasseur had to be admitted to hospital in the morning after feeling unwell, with the Frenchman kept in under observation. And when it mattered, it was championship leader and man-of-the-moment Kimi Antonelli who took a sensational pole, pipping Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.043sec.
Pressure? What pressure? Antonelli is absolutely flying right now. The Italian teenager has won the last four races to establish a 43-point lead over team-mate George Russell in the drivers’ championship standings and he reacted to this pole as if he had already won the race. Which, to be fair, he may well have done. “Whoooooee,” the Italian screamed over the radio. “Yes!”
“My man,” replied his engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington. “43 milliseconds.”
Russell had tried some mind games during his media session on Thursday, saying the pressure was all on Antonelli now, with the title “his to lose”.
That is how you respond. If Antonelli converts this pole, the Italian’s lead over the Briton will start to feel gargantuan. Russell was only able to take sixth on the grid, four tenths slower than Antonelli in Q3, and looked and sounded despondent afterwards. “I don’t really know what’s going on, to be honest,” he admitted. “It’s clearly something in my driving that’s not helping the car at the moment. At the start of the season, every lap was good, it was P1 every session.”
Pushed on what that was, Russell said it was to do with getting the tyres in the right operating window. “It’s clear in the data,” he added. “But I’ve been driving in this manner my whole career. And now for whatever reason it’s not working with this car. Last year’s car, you know, Kimi was trying to drive it my way and it was also not working for him.
“It’s no excuse, it’s just a reality. I need to either work with the team to adjust my driving… or I need to find a different set-up that works for me. But it’s not clicking right now.”
It could be an interesting start on Sunday. Verstappen is not the type to back out of a fight for the first corner. The four-time world champion, who had tried a few things in final practice which did not work, produced a mighty lap of his own in Q3 and looks to have his mojo back. Behind them, on the second row, the fast-starting Ferraris of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be applying pressure from behind. Leclerc made mistakes in both his outings in Q3, bashing a wall heavily on his final run.
But unless they get past at the start, they are unlikely to get past at all. Asked whether we might see a bit of yo-yo racing here in Monaco for once, because of the new regulations with power boost buttons and overtake mode, Antonelli did not seem too concerned. “I think it will still be difficult [for rivals to overtake],” he said. “Unless I wait for one second at the lights, or two seconds, or unless I make a big mistake.”
Hamilton agreed. Now in his second season with Ferrari, the seven-time world champion is still waiting for that first grand prix win in red and he admitted he may be waiting a little longer. “I mean, you know how these [Monaco] races go,” he said when asked whether he felt he had a shot at victory. “It’s very, very difficult [to overtake]. I hope we can get a really good start and maybe apply some pressure to these two. I probably need rain. But nothing’s impossible. I’ll try to get in there and hassle them as much as I can, and try to force them into not making certain corners.”
Whatever happens, F1’s marketing men will be rubbing their hands as long as his girlfriend keeps showing up.
04:30pm
Top ten in full
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
Not the best of days for McLaren; the practice sessions were not the best for the team but their pace did look better during qualifying. However, when it came down to those final attempts in Q3, they wre not quite on the pace to challenge for pole.
04:27pm
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified third
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Lewis Hamilton will start on the second row tomorrow - Steven Tee/Getty Images
04:23pm
Max Verstappen reflecting on qualifying second
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Red Bull surprised with their pace in Q2 and Q3 - Mark Thompson/Getty Images
04:21pm
Thoughts of the pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli
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A first pole in Monaco for young Antonelli - Yves Herman/Reuters
04:18pm
Pressure building?
Whilst championship leader Kimi Antonelli has taken pole and will be aiming for a fifth straight win tomorrow, his teammate George Russell is down in sixth, nearly four tenths down. Considering the challenge of overtaking around Monaco, Russell could be set to lose more ground on his teammate in the drivers’ standings. This is the sixth round of the championship but already Russell is under pressure with his teammate on fire at the moment.
04:12pm
Top five
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
Where did Red Bull find that pace from? Seemingly out of nowhere, they have qualified second and fifth and Verstappen was so close to taking pole.
04:09pmKey moments
Kimi Antonelli on pole for 2026 Monaco Grand Prix
The championship leader has taken pole for the first time in Monaco. He goes just faster than Verstappen, who has looked on it in Q2 and Q3. Antonelli crashed out in qualifying here a year ago but takes pole this time around.
Meanwhile Leclerc was on another flying lap but loses control through Tabac, hitting the wall. The home driver has had to pull over and will start fourth tomorrow. The home crowd are shocked.
04:07pm
Verstappen fastest
The Dutchman goes top of the timesheets and Hamilton goes second as we await the two Mercedes drivers...
04:07pm
McLarens off it
Piatsri can only go fifth and Norris has abandoned his lap so he will only be sixth at best.
04:05pm
Top of the timesheets
The home crowd go crazy as Leclerc goes fastest. But everyone else is still to come so it may not stand, especially as he was only just faster than Antonelli.
04:04pm
Under big pressure
Leclerc has backed off from this latest lap and will have one more shot at a good lap or else he will be at the bottom end of the top ten. The home boy is under massive pressure.
Just under three minutes to go in Q3.
04:02pm
Heading out promptly
Having not set a representative time, Leclerc heads out with over five minutes to go and is taking no risks.
Here is the current top five after the first attempts:
- Antonelli
- Verstappen +0.001
- Hamilton +0.178
- Norris +0.390
- Russell +0.451
04:01pm
First attempts in Q3
Piastri has gone quickest in the first sector and comes across the line to post a time of a 1:12.916. The Australian’s back-end of the car got very slippery out of the last corner. Not just that but he also hit the wall at the exit of Rascasse. His teammate Norris goes nearly two tenths faster. Next up is Hamilton, who goes two tenths faster than Norris.
Antonelli though displaces Hamilton at the top and then Verstappen is just one thousandth of a second off Antonelli. How close do you want to get? Verstappen lost some time through Rascasse so would have gone faster than Antonelli without that moment.
Leclerc did not set a representative lap time and has returned to the pits.
03:54pm
Ready for Q3
These are arguably the most important 12 minutes of the season to decide pole in Monaco. You could argue as many as eight drivers are feasibly in with a chance of taking pole. The two McLarens are out first.
03:49pm
Six out in Q2
11. Alex Albon (Williams)
12. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
13. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
14. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
15. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
16. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
03:48pm
Verstappen fastest
The Dutchman goes two two tenths quicker than Antonelli to go top of the timesheets but what about those near the drop zone?
Neither Williams can make it into Q3. Can Hulkenberg, Colapinto or Lindblad do so? The answer is no.
After Verstappen went fastest, his teammate Hadjar then goes third and from nowhere Red Bull might be in the hunt for pole.
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Is Max Verstappen in contention for pole? - Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
03:45pm
Who needs a lap?
Russell is down in eighth but is more than half a second clear of the drop zone. The likes of Hulkenberg, Sainz and Colapinto all looking for improvements to get into Q3.
03:42pm
Bad days at Aston
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Pretty extraordinary stat I’ve just read: P21 is Fernando Alonso’s worst qualifying result around Monaco since making his F1 debut a quarter of a century ago. He finished higher in a Minardi (P18 out of 22 cars back in 2001). Mind you, the Spaniard was still 0.7sec quicker in Q1 than his team mate Lance Stroll. Tough times at Aston Martin...
03:41pm
Bottom six with five minutes left
11. Sainz
12. Albon
13. Gasly
14. Lindblad
15. Colapinto
16. Bortoleto (already out)
Meanwhile Leclerc has gone second fastest, seven hundredths off Antonelli.
03:40pm
Going second
Verstappen has gone for another run on this set of tyres and goes second, under a tenth of a second off Antonelli.
03:38pm
Antonelli quickest
Verstappen goes fastest with purple sectors in the second and third sectors. But I am not sure that time will last long at the top of the timesheets. And, as I predicted, it does not as Leclerc goes quickest, just ahead of the McLaren of Piastri and Hamilton.
But then we have another new man at the top of the timesheets as Norris goes quickest. Another change as Antonelli decides he wants to go fastest. Russell’s struggles continue as he is only eighth fastest. Just over four tenths separates the top seven.
03:35pm
Verstappen out of the garage early
The Dutchman did not come out immediately in Q1 but he is out promptly in Q2. He has backed off though on his first flying lap of this session. Now attention will turn to the Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren drivers.
03:32pm
Ready for Q2
The green light is showing at the end of the pit lane. Another six drivers will be dumped out but we already know one of those, which is the Audi of Bortoleto, who crashed in Q1.
Verstappen was not too happy with a Williams mechanic, who had let Sainz out dangerously in the pit lane. Fortunately a collision is avoided.
03:27pm
Six dumped out in Q1
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
19. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
21. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
03:26pm
Bearman out
The Briton crashed earlier in final practice and now is dumped out in Q1. Sainz delivers a good lap when he needed it most and goes up into 10th, which means Ocon has dropped out.
03:24pm
Chequered flag waving
The top six plus Russell and Lawson remained in the pits. The chequered flag is waving now so this it for those out on track. Colapinto did not make the line in time so remains in 13th and could be at risk if those behind improve.
03:23pm
Green light
Unsurprisingly, because they are at the end of the pit lane, the Cadillacs are first out. Not everyone is likely to get round to start their laps. The likes of Lindblad, Ocon, Perez, Bearman and Sainz are probably the ones to watch as they are right in and around the bubble. Some of those are just in at the moment, others are just out.
03:18pmKey moments • Video
Red flag!
The yellow flags in the second sector are being waved as the Audi of Bortoleto is in the wall. He came out of the tunnel and, as he approached the Nouvelle Chicane, he clipped the inside barrier, which damaged the front left suspension of his car and ended up in the wall as he could not properly turn the car down to that damage. The red flag is brought out with two minutes and 11 seconds remaining in Q1. That will mean that not everyone will be able to do another lap and there will be a stampede to the end of the pit lane when the teams are permitted to do so.
Bortoleto was 14th when he crashed so in theory he might progress to Q2 but he will obviously not be taking any part in that.
03:16pm
Antonelli in a bit of trouble?
The championship leader has been shown the black and white flag for not following the racing guidelines so needs to be careful.
We have yellow flags waving in sector two...
03:15pm
Russell still not finding the pace
He goes seventh fastest but nine tenths off the fastest time set by Leclerc. Verstappen is second with Antonelli in third. None of the big hitters unsurprisingly are at risk of going out in Q1.
03:13pm
Bottom six with five minutes to go
17. Albon
18. Gasly
19. Alonso
20. Perez
21. Stroll
22. Bottas
No surprise to see both Cadillacs and both Aston Martins in the bottom six.
03:12pm
Russell needs a lap
The Briton had been down in the bottom six and needs a good lap but can only go tenth. He should not really be in trouble in terms of getting into Q2 but he has not having a good time of it so far, displayed by losing some time at Mirabeau as he went deep.
03:09pm
Watch out!
Probably because he was slightly out of sync with others, Verstappen finds himself hitting some traffic at just the wrong moment as he swung through the swimming pool chicane. He does go fifth fastest.
Meanwhile Norris had temporarily gone fastest before Leclerc returned to the top of the timesheets.
03:07pm
First attempts for the big hitters
Hometown man Leclerc goes just over a tenth faster than the McLaren of Norris, who is just ahead of the Ferrari of Hamilton. What of the Mercedes and Piastri? Antonelli goes third but Russell is down in 12th. Piastri is seventh as we await Verstappen’s first proper lap in anger.
03:04pmAnalysis
Just two teams in contention for pole?
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On a more serious note, everyone is expecting a straight fight between Mercedes and Ferrari for pole. Just been talking to someone from Mercedes who told me they tweaked the car’s suspension overnight and it is now riding the kerbs a bit better. Antonelli was very impressive in practice earlier. You’d imagine he’s the more likely of the two Mercedes drivers simply because this has never been one of Russell’s strongest tracks. Ferrari have been strong all weekend. A Hamilton pole would be a brilliant story, making the seven-time champion a heavy favourite for his first victory in red tomorrow.
03:03pm
Friendly fire?
Hamilton has been over the team radio saying that his teammate Leclerc is backing into him on their out laps. The only man not on track right now is the Red Bull of Verstappen.
03:00pm
Off we go!
The green light is showing at the end of the pit lane and Q1 is officially under way as we start the most important qualifying session of the season. Traffic is going to be a major issue in this first part of qualifying so how will the teams negotiate that?
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The paddock has been waiting all season for this moment. Finally, after five races, it is happening... No, not Monaco qualifying. I’m talking, of course, about Kim Kardashian. Lewis Hamilton’s inamorata is here, wearing a fetching black top and jeans. And lots of photographers are very happy about it.
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The Kardashians - Mark Thompson/Getty Images
02:52pm
Who is your money on?
Based on the three practice sessions, it would appear that it could be a fight between the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers for pole position, although it would be foolish to completely rule out the McLarens or Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. On a street circuit though, you cannot rule out shocks if someone crashes out or puts the lap together, even if they do not have the fastest car on paper. Who do you think will claim pole? Have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog. This is the most important qualifying session of the year.
02:46pm
Careful of traffic
Every year in Monaco we talk about traffic, especially in Q1. That will be even more of an issue this year with two extra cars on the grid with Cadillac joining F1 this season. Timing your runs and flying laps will be crucial, as will avoiding being impacted by yellow or even red flags, which are so common here.
02:43pm
Crucial day for George Russell
The Briton comes into this race under some pressure after his retirement in Canada. He is 43 points behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings and will know how big this qualifying session is, considering the difficulty of overtaking around this circuit. Antonelli is gunning for his fifth straight win this weekend.
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George Russell looks on from the pit lane - David Davies/PA
02:39pm
Kim Kardashian in the house
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The Kardashians in attendance - David Davies/PA
02:36pm
Constructors’ standings
- Mercedes- 219pts
- Ferrari- 147pts
- McLaren- 106pts
- Red Bull- 57pts
- Alpine- 35pts
02:32pm
What of McLaren?
The team celebrates its 1000th Grand Prix today and they will be hoping for a better weekend than what they had in Canada, when neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri finished in the points. Norris had to retire from that race and has not had the easiest of weekends thus far as he looks to claim back-to-back pole positions around the streets of Monaco. He missed out on a fair bit of second practice yesterday and thus far McLaren have not quite had the same pace as Ferrari and Mercedes.
02:24pm
Last five pole positions in Monaco
2025- Lando Norris (McLaren)
2024- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2023- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2022- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2021- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
02:16pm
Drivers’ standings after five rounds
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)- 131pts
- George Russell (Mercedes)- 88pts
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)- 75pts
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)- 72pts
- Lando Norris (McLaren)- 58pts
02:11pm
Hamilton’s other half
Welcome to the paddock
Kim Kardashian has arrived in Monaco#F1#MonacoGPpic.twitter.com/zAHRAUQBi1
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 6, 2026
02:07pm
Practice three results
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1:12.720
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.327
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.331
- George Russell (Mercedes) +0.763
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.942
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.978
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +1.100
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1.157
- Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.286
- Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +1.330
01:59pmKey moments
Concern for Vasseur
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Frédéric Vasseur, the Ferrari team principal, will miss qualifying in Monaco on Saturday after being taken unwell.
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Frédéric Vasseur pictured during Friday’s practice session in Monaco - David Davies/PA
Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are both expected to challenge for pole position, but Vasseur, 58, is being kept “under observation” at a local medical facility in Monaco.
It is unclear whether the Frenchman will be back in time for Sunday’s grand prix. No further medical information was provided by the team, who merely said in a statement on Saturday morning that they wished their boss a “speedy recovery” and looked forward to seeing him back at the track “soon”.
Vasseur will miss the most important qualifying session of the season, given how difficult it is to overtake around Monaco’s tight, twisty streets during the actual race.
Moreover, it is a qualifying session for which his team are highly fancied. Hamilton, who is still searching for his first Ferrari win, and Leclerc, a local who has a stellar record at his home race, finished one-two in both practice sessions on Friday. The Monegasque topped the first session with the Briton finishing fractionally ahead in the second.
Ferrari prioritised a smaller turbo in the new engine regulations for 2026, which means their car lacks top-end power but is useful at starts and low-speed pick-up – ideal for Monaco.
Mercedes have won every race so far this season, with Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli having won the last four to establish a 43-point lead over Britain’s George Russell.
Ferrari said in a statement: “Fred Vasseur will not be present at the circuit today. Following some medical checks, Fred will remain under observation at a local medical facility. No further medical information will be provided. We wish Fred a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back at the track soon.”
01:57pmKey moments
Who will master the streets of Monte Carlo?
The Formula One season has made its way to the glitz and glamour of the streets of Monaco, one of the iconic jewels in F1’s crown. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli extended his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings after his win in Canada last time out, his fourth victory on the trot, combined with the retirement of his teammate George Russell. Antonelli comes to a circuit where he had a horror show on his debut at Monaco last year, when he crashed in qualifying before finishing in 18th, the final finisher of the race. Antonelli was fastest in final practice earlier, ahead of Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Russell was fourth with Max Verstappen in fifth.
It was a miserable race in Canada for defending constructors’ champions McLaren; their gamble to start on the intermediate tyres with both cars when no-one else did backfired before Lando Norris was forced to retire from the race whilst Oscar Piastri finished outside the points on a chastening afternoon for the team. Defending world champion Norris took pole and won the race around the streets of Monaco last year. McLaren have enjoyed plenty of joy around the streets of Monaco; they are the constructor with the most wins (16) at Monaco. Norris’ weekend has not completely gone to plan, with his second practice yesterday cut short. The Briton was only ninth fastest in third practice, with his teammate Piastri sixth.
Leclerc, who sits third in the drivers’ standings, comes into his home Grand Prix with a spring in his step after agreeing a new long-term contract with Ferrari ahead of his home race, which he won in 2024. The omens looked good for Ferrari in the two Friday practice sessions as the Prancing Horse secured a one-two in both of those sessions. Could Ferrari set themselves up today for a first Grand Prix win since October 2024?
Who will take pole around the streets of Monaco? Qualifying gets under way at 3pm.
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