Kimi Antonelli took pole, the win, and the fastest lap in Monaco, but the story of the afternoon was who didn’t make it to the flag. Max Verstappen, second on the grid, was the day’s first retirement, while Pierre Gasly climbed from ninth on the grid to a podium finish for Alpine.
Qualifying: Antonelli on Pole, Verstappen Storms to Second
Antonelli took pole position, with Verstappen splitting the Mercedes and Ferrari runners in second. Hamilton was third, Leclerc fourth, and Hadjar fifth for Red Bull’s second car. Russell was sixth, with Piastri seventh, Norris eighth, Gasly ninth, and Lawson rounding out the top ten.
Race: Pole to Flag for Antonelli, Verstappen’s Race Ends Early
Antonelli converted pole into victory, leading home Hamilton in second. But it was third place that told the more interesting story: Pierre Gasly, ninth on the grid, brought his Alpine home on the podium in third. Hadjar backed up his qualifying lap with fourth, and Piastri recovered from seventh on the grid to fifth.
Verstappen’s race did not survive to the finish. Second on the grid, he became the day’s first retirement, a result that will sting given how strong Saturday had looked. A Safety Car was deployed at some point during the afternoon. Mercedes claimed the fastest pitstop of the race.
Further back, Lawson picked up sixth for Racing Bulls, with Arvid Lindblad seventh, a double points finish for the team. Alexander Albon took eighth for Williams, Esteban Ocon ninth for Haas, and Fernando Alonso claimed Aston Martin’s first point of the season in tenth. Russell, Leclerc, and Norris, who qualified sixth, fourth, and eighth respectively, were all outside the top ten at the flag.
The Points Table Tells the Story
Antonelli’s win takes him to 156 points, up from 131 heading into the weekend, a lead of 66 points over the new second-placed driver. Hamilton’s second place moves him to 90 and past Russell, who scored nothing in Monaco and stays static on 88, into second overall. Leclerc, also scoreless on the day, holds fourth on 75.
The bigger mover is further down the order. Gasly’s podium takes him from 20 points to 35, a jump into eighth in the standings. Hadjar’s fourth place moves him to 26 points and ninth, while Piastri’s fifth is worth ten more, taking him to 58 and a tie with Norris, who scored nothing in Monaco and remains on 58 as well. The two are level on points, with the official standings placing Piastri fifth and Norris sixth. Verstappen’s retirement leaves him static on 43 in seventh.
In the constructors’, Mercedes extend their lead to 244 points, Antonelli’s win alone doing the work with Russell blank. Ferrari move to 165 on Hamilton’s second place. McLaren move to 116, Piastri’s fifth place doing all the scoring with Norris blank on the day. Red Bull Racing move to 69 courtesy of Hadjar, Verstappen’s retirement costing them a potentially bigger haul. Alpine’s Monaco podium is worth the jump from 35 to 50 points, and Racing Bulls’s double from Lawson and Lindblad takes them from 21 to 35.
Drivers’ Championship: Top 10
| Pos | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 156 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 90 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 88 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 75 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 58 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 58 |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 43 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 35 |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 26 |
| 10 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 24 |
Constructors’ Championship: Top 10
| Pos | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 244 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 165 |
| 3 | McLaren | 116 |
| 4 | Red Bull Racing | 69 |
| 5 | Alpine | 50 |
| 6 | Racing Bulls | 35 |
| 7 | Haas F1 Team | 21 |
| 8 | Williams | 11 |
| 9 | Audi | 2 |
| 10 | Cadillac | 1 |
The Wider Picture
Mercedes needed only Antonelli to have a strong weekend, and he delivered pole, the win, and the fastest lap. Russell’s blank Sunday barely dented the constructors’ lead.
Alpine leave Monaco with a podium finish. Gasly’s climb from ninth on the grid to third at the flag is worth 15 points in a championship where every position counts.
Red Bull will take real encouragement from Verstappen’s front-row qualifying lap even with the race not delivering on it. Hadjar’s fourth place outscored Verstappen this weekend while the senior seat looks for answers.
Ferrari had a mixed day. Hamilton’s second place is a strong result, but Leclerc’s drop from fourth on the grid to outside the points is the kind of afternoon that won’t make the highlight reel.
Racing Bulls pick up a double points finish for Lawson and Lindblad, while Aston Martin will be pleased to see Alonso open their account for the season.
Final Verdict
On paper, Monaco looks like the season’s pattern continuing: Antonelli on pole, Antonelli wins, Mercedes extend their lead. But look past the headline result and there’s a genuinely eventful afternoon underneath it. Verstappen’s front-row qualifying lap ended in retirement before the flag. Gasly climbed from ninth on the grid to a podium finish for Alpine. And Piastri and Norris leave Monaco locked together on points, level in the championship with fifth and sixth place separating them.
Circuit photo: “Circuito de Monte-Carlo” by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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