“It was one of those special laps where I managed to put everything together, taking the right risks without overdoing it.” That was how Kimi Antonelli described the stunning performance that earned him his first Monaco pole position in only his second Formula 1 season.
This was no ordinary pole. Monaco is widely regarded as the most demanding qualifying challenge of the year, a circuit where drivers must brush the barriers at millimetre precision to unlock the final tenths of performance. To come out on top in such conditions is already a remarkable achievement. To do it while beating champions like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton makes it even more impressive.
Antonelli’s pole-winning lap stopped the clock at 1:12.051, putting him just 43 thousandths of a second ahead of Verstappen and confirming once again why he has become one of the standout stories of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Antonelli: “I felt great from this morning onwards”
What Antonelli achieved in Monaco is extraordinary. On a circuit where confidence is everything and even the smallest mistake can end a qualifying session, the young Mercedes driver delivered a flawless performance to secure pole position ahead of some of the sport’s biggest names.
Speaking after qualifying, Antonelli explained just how demanding Monaco can be for drivers.
“It’s one of the most intense qualifying sessions of the year and it requires a huge amount of commitment, even during the practice sessions. You have to keep getting closer and closer to the limit. When you need to find those final two tenths, it’s not easy because you have to move closer and closer to the walls, and finding that confidence is difficult. I have to say I felt really good from this morning and this afternoon I managed to finish the job.”
One of the biggest surprises was Mercedes’ dramatic turnaround overnight. Ferrari had appeared to hold the upper hand throughout Friday and remained among the favourites after FP3, yet Antonelli and Mercedes found a significant step in performance between Friday and Saturday.
“It’s definitely a surprising pole position because yesterday we were struggling and I won’t hide the fact that I was a bit worried, especially after FP2,” Antonelli told Sky Sport. “But this morning, from the very first lap, it was as if the car had come back to life.
“We completely changed the setup and the car is definitely giving me much more confidence to push, even if it’s still not the easiest car to drive. We are still struggling a little to keep all four tyres planted on the ground.”
During the FIA press conference, Antonelli expanded on the work carried out by the team overnight: “The team made an incredible change of direction compared to yesterday in terms of setup. They made some major changes and the car felt much more alive this morning. It was also much more forgiving when attacking the kerbs and dealing with the bumps.
“That is normally a characteristic of our setup philosophy, and it’s what allowed us to gain so much performance between yesterday and today and put ourselves in a position to fight for pole.”
Antonelli also revealed an important technical detail about his qualifying lap.
“Today was the first qualifying session where I didn’t have to manage the battery during the lap or look at the screen to monitor the power delivery. It was simply maximum combustion power with no interruptions throughout the lap, so the priority was just driving.”
Antonelli: “Verstappen was incredibly close”
The battle for pole position went right down to the final moments of Q3. Before the decisive runs, Antonelli had been ahead of Verstappen by just one thousandth of a second, underlining how finely balanced the contest was.
Despite the pressure, the Italian managed to find even more time on his final attempt: “It was a very close qualifying battle with Max. On the first Q3 run, if I’m not mistaken, there was only one thousandth of a second between us. I knew the final lap was good and I hoped it would be enough. I didn’t know Max’s time while I was on my final run, so it really felt like everything came together perfectly. I didn’t know where I was in the standings. I could only feel that the second sector was fantastic.
“Then, of course, I got confirmation over the radio. Around Monaco everything is so intense that your only focus is driving as fast as possible without making any obvious mistakes. Only once you cross the finish line do you find out where you stand.”
Attention now turns to race day
Although pole position is often considered the most important step towards victory in Monaco, Antonelli knows there is still a long way to go before celebrating a Grand Prix win.
The championship leader will have a grid full of experienced rivals directly behind him, including Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and several other proven race winners: “There’s a whole group of drivers behind me and I know they are very strong, so they will definitely push hard and try to put me under pressure. The run to the first corner is quite short, so the key will be making a good start, trying to produce a magical launch and then we’ll see what happens from there.
“Tomorrow the conditions could be different and we’ll have to adapt. We don’t have a huge amount of data, but we know overtaking is extremely difficult here. We’ll see what happens.”
A season to remember for the young Mercedes star
At just 19 years of age, Antonelli continues to exceed expectations in what is becoming a remarkable Formula 1 campaign. Having experienced the inevitable highs and lows during his rookie season, he now finds himself leading the Drivers’ Championship and regularly fighting at the front of the grid.
Reflecting on his progress, the Mercedes driver admitted that he is enjoying Formula 1 more than ever: “I’m definitely enjoying the driving, the car and the entire weekend. It’s been a huge step forward compared to last year on my side, and it’s really nice to be able to enjoy every session.”
If Monaco qualifying is any indication, Antonelli’s rapid rise in Formula 1 is showing no signs of slowing down.
Leave a Reply