Drama In The Principality: The Monaco Grand Prix Did Not Disappoint!
11th June 2026Ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Millie Clark revisits the action of the Monaco Grand Prix, last weekend, breaking down the key points of the dramatic event.
Feature image credit: Getty Images // Red Bull Content Pool
Kimi Antonelli clinched his fifth consecutive victory ahead of Lewis Hamilton and a first podium for Isack Hajar with Red Bull. The Mercedes driver went from finishing last in 2025 as a rookie to occupying the top step of the podium as the youngest-ever race winner around the streets of Monaco in 2026.
Here is your Monaco Grand Prix round-up.
Antonelli’s Awesome Drive
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli proved once again that he is ready to fight for the championship with an incredible drive throughout 78 laps around Monaco. The young Italian kept calm and handled everything that came his way: from two safety-car restarts and a red-flag procedure, he executed every restart perfectly.
Behind him, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton delivered a consistent drive to claim second place, with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar claiming the last podium spot in third, making it his first podium for the team.
Early Drama for Verstappen
Norris Suffers Once More
An Unusual Red Flag
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made contact with the wall at the final corner. The home hero blamed the incident on his brakes. Leclerc’s incident was almost a carbon copy of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll just a few laps prior. While both drivers blamed their brakes, each accident could have been impacted by the track’s surface. With just over ten laps to go, the FIA decided to bring out the red flag so they could inspect the safety of the track’s conditions, as the asphalt was broken up.
After a brief stoppage, the racing action resumed, and the drivers lined up on the grid once again. For Hadjar, who was promoted to third place after Leclerc’s incident, he struggled off the line, expressing frustration on the radio over potential engine issues. This allowed Gasly to get the jump on Hadjar and steal the final podium place.
Fernando Alonso suggests Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix could be his last
Speeding in the Pit Lane
However, a common occurrence throughout the race was drivers receiving 5-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane. These drivers include: Hamilton, Piastri, Russell, Colapinto, and Gasly. Unfortunately for Gasly, the Frenchman was caught speeding twice, resulting in a ten-second penalty.
While securing a podium on the road, with this penalty applied, he was demoted to seventh.
Hadjar’s First with Red Bull
Despite suffering throughout the 78 laps around the Principality, Hadjar clinched his first podium for the Red Bull Team: from crashing during FP1 on Friday to standing on the iconic podium on Sunday, it was a day to never forget.
The Midfield
Piastri kept his racing clean, served his penalty, and claimed fourth. For Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson finished fifth with Arvid Lindblad right behind him in sixth. This result was their first double points finish as a team, and both their career best race results so far. Can they carry this momentum into Barcelona? It is a track that seems to suit Lindblad, who claimed the race victory back-to-back during F3 and F2 in 2024 and 2025.
After returning to an old strategy that was used during last year’s race around Monaco, Williams’ Alex Albon held up the pack behind to allow his teammate Carlos Sainz to achieve a free pit stop. This worked perfectly, as Sainz cycled out of the pit lane ahead of Albon. After swapping the potions back, Williams sat in ninth and tenth, securing double points.
However, double points were soon cut short as the Williams car of Sainz collided with Nico Hulkenberg at the iconic hairpin and, Colapinto, who spins the Williams around, ending his race.
Haas’ Esteban Ocon claimed ninth from seventeenth, while his teammate Ollie Bearman had an early retirement after suffering front wing damage from making contact with Ocon during the earlier stages of the race.
The final points position was occupied by Cadillac’s Sergio Perez. Until, he was hit with a post-race 10-second time penalty. What could have been a first point in Formula 1 for the Cadillac Team, became a first point this season for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin.
Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix: the full F1 schedule and times
Russell’s Penalty Nightmare
With Kimi Antonelli continuing to show dominance as he made it five wins in a row, his teammate and closest championship rival, George Russell, needed to score decent points. However, as Antonelli claimed maximum points, Russell left Monaco with zero points, after failing to properly serve his pit lane speeding penalty. The Brit was given a drive-through penalty, which cycled him to the rear end of the field.
Now, Antonelli extends his championship lead by 66 points over Hamilton, who moves up into second with 90 points. Russell slots into third on 88 points after leaving Monaco pointless.
Up Next
As we head to Barcelona this weekend, the question remains: will Antonelli continue to dominate, or can anyone finally put an end to the teenager’s win streak? Find out when the five red lights go out on Sunday, June 14th.
The Full Race Classification
1 – Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
2 – Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
3 – Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
4 – Oscar Piastri, McLaren
5 – Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
6 – Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
7 – Pierre Gasly, Alpine
8 – Alexander Albon, Williams
9 – Esteban Ocon, Haas
10 – Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
11 – Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi
12 – George Russell, Mercedes
13 – Nico Hulkenberg, Audi
14 – Franco Colapinto, Alpine
15 – Sergio Perez, Cadillac
16 – Carlos Sainz, Williams, DNF
NC – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
NC – Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
NC – Lando Norris, McLaren
NC – Oliver Bearman, Haas
NC – Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac
NC – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Read more Formula 1 here:
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- Writer’s Verdict: 2026 Monaco Grand Prix
- Gasly ‘heartbroken’ after Monaco Grand Prix result
- Leclerc confirms rear-brake issue led to Monaco GP crash
- Engine problem cause for Verstappen Monaco GP retirement
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