Kimi Antonelli transformed the picture at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix by topping final practice for Mercedes ahead of qualifying, as Ferrari suddenly found themselves chasing rather than leading.
After Ferrari dominated Friday practice, Antonelli delivered the clearest sign yet that Mercedes had found performance overnight. The championship leader set a 1m 12.720s to finish 0.327 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton third, just 0.004 seconds behind his team-mate.
George Russell was fourth in the second Mercedes, while Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull.
The final Formula 1 practice hour suggested qualifying may not be the Ferrari walkover many had expected after Friday. Antonelli looked confident from the moment the soft tyres went on, and his pace was strong enough to leave the rest of the field with serious work to do before the most important qualifying session of the season.
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| Kimi Antonelli during practice for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP | Mercedes |
Antonelli takes control as Ferrari chase answers
Ferrari had looked like the team to beat after finishing one-two in both FP1 and FP2, but FP3 gave Mercedes a major boost.
Antonelli found time early on the soft tyre and then stayed clear of the field, while Leclerc and Hamilton were unable to match his benchmark when the final qualifying simulations began. Traffic played a role, as it always does in Monaco, but the gap to Antonelli was large enough to suggest Mercedes have made genuine progress overnight.
Leclerc still ended the session second, but the Monegasque driver continued to sound uncomfortable over team radio, with the brake issue he revealed on Friday still appearing to be a concern. That could be crucial at Monaco, where confidence under braking is everything.
Hamilton was third and remained close to Leclerc, but neither Ferrari driver could land a response to Antonelli before the late red flag disrupted the final runs.
Bearman crash interrupts final laps
The session was stopped late on after Oliver Bearman crashed his Haas at Massenet. Bearman lost the rear while climbing the hill, shortly after passing Russell, who had moved as far aside as possible to stay out of the way. The Haas driver clipped the barriers and left debris on the track, bringing out the red flag.
“Sorry guys, it’s the ***** bottoming. I’m so sorry,” Bearman said over team radio.
He climbed out of the car unharmed and later returned to the pit lane, but Haas will need to check the car carefully before qualifying, particularly around the rear and gearbox after the impact.
The marshals cleared the car quickly, but barrier checks meant the session resumed with only four minutes remaining. That gave some drivers time for one final run, although out laps were heavily compromised as the field queued up in classic Monaco fashion.
McLaren still searching before qualifying
McLaren still looked short of the very front after a difficult Friday. Oscar Piastri finished sixth, 0.978 seconds off Antonelli, while Lando Norris was ninth after continuing to play catch up following his FP2 stoppage.
McLaren confirmed before the session that it had broken curfew after Norris stopped at the Nouvelle Chicane on Friday. The team replaced the wiring harness and changed the ESME pack within the permitted allocation as part of its investigation into the issue.
Team CEO Zak Brown admitted a second row start might already be an optimistic target, with McLaren still trying to understand its pace before qualifying.
There was also a late traffic moment between Norris and Hamilton, with neither driver sounding impressed over the radio. The incident was not noted by Race Control, but it served as a reminder of how tense qualifying could become when 22 cars fight for space around the narrowest circuit on the calendar.
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| Nico Hulkenberg during practice for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP | Audi F1 Team |
Audi impress again as Cadillac suffer more issues
Audi continued their strong Monaco weekend, with Gabriel Bortoleto seventh and Nico Hulkenberg 10th.
Both Audi cars had finished inside the top 10 in FP1 and FP2, and their FP3 pace suggested the team could be genuine contenders for Q3 if they execute qualifying cleanly.
Isack Hadjar was eighth as he continued to rebuild confidence after his FP1 crash at the Swimming Pool section. Liam Lawson also had another nervous moment at the same part of the track, catching a slide after the rear stepped out.
Cadillac had more brake trouble after Sergio Perez suffered a brake fire in FP2. This time Valtteri Bottas reported smoke and limped back to the pits, avoiding a stoppage but raising fresh concerns for the team.
The final practice message was clear. Ferrari still have pace, Verstappen remains close enough to threaten, and McLaren are not out of the picture. But heading into qualifying, it is Antonelli and Mercedes who suddenly look like the combination to beat.
- John Smith
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