Overview
- Kimi Antonelli delivered a final, fastest Q3 lap to beat Max Verstappen by 0.043 seconds and take pole for the Monaco Grand Prix.
- Antonelli had set the pace earlier by topping final practice with a 1:12.720, the only driver under 1:13 in FP3.
- Qualifying and practice were repeatedly disrupted by crashes, including Oliver Bearman’s FP3 incident at Massenet and Gabriel Bortoleto’s Q1 crash at the Nouvelle Chicane that triggered a red flag and left Audi with repair work.
- Mercedes’ weekend recovery displaced Ferrari’s early Friday advantage but exposed an intra‑team gap as George Russell qualified sixth, well adrift of his team‑mate.
- Antonelli’s pole strengthens his momentum and championship lead and makes him the clear favourite for Sunday’s race because track position at Monaco strongly determines the outcome.