How Mercedes’ Rivals Let Monaco Slip Away

Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren all arrived in Monaco with reasons to believe Mercedes could finally be beaten. By Sunday evening, each had watched its opportunity collapse in a different way.

Monaco looked like the weekend where Mercedes’ rivals might finally break through. Ferrari had dominated Friday practice, Red Bull had Max Verstappen on the front row, and McLaren arrived at its 1000th Grand Prix weekend with memories of Lando Norris’ 2025 victory still fresh.

Instead, Kimi Antonelli turned pole position into a controlled victory, Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari, and Isack Hadjar inherited the final podium place after Pierre Gasly’s penalties. Mercedes left the Principality with another statement win, while its main rivals were left analysing how their chances disappeared.

Red Bull’s Chance Ended Almost Immediately

Red Bull’s biggest hope of beating Mercedes rested on Verstappen. Starting second, he had the track position to pressure Antonelli into Turn 1 or force Mercedes into a strategic fight. But his race barely began.

Verstappen suffered an engine issue at the start, ending his Monaco Grand Prix before it could properly unfold. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies later described the weekend with “mixed emotions”, praising Hadjar’s podium while apologising for losing Verstappen’s car immediately.

Red Bull had the front-row threat Mercedes feared most. Then the race removed Verstappen before Antonelli even had to defend. F1LiveUpdates analysis

Ferrari Had the Pace, But Not the Complete Weekend

Ferrari’s Monaco weekend began with genuine promise. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had locked out the top two in Friday practice, suggesting the Scuderia had the slow-speed confidence needed to fight for pole.

But qualifying shifted the picture. Leclerc hit the wall on his final Q3 attempt and could only start fourth, while Hamilton qualified third. On race day, Hamilton was beaten by Antonelli, and Leclerc’s late crash contributed to the Safety Car and red flag sequence that disrupted the final laps.

McLaren’s Milestone Weekend Became Damage Limitation

McLaren’s 1000th Grand Prix weekend never became the celebration it hoped for. Norris had warned that Monaco exposed known weaknesses in the McLaren package, and qualifying confirmed it. Oscar Piastri started seventh, Norris eighth, and both cars were immediately trapped in a race where passing is nearly impossible.

Piastri eventually finished fourth, which was a strong recovery on paper, but it owed as much to the race’s chaos as outright McLaren pace. Norris suffered another technical race retirement, leaving the defending champion with a painful second consecutive non-finish.

• Red Bull lost Verstappen to an engine issue at the start.
• Ferrari failed to convert strong Friday pace into pole or victory.
• Leclerc’s late crash added another blow to Ferrari’s Monaco hopes.
• McLaren started too far back after a poor qualifying session.
• Norris retired again, while Piastri salvaged fourth.
• Gasly lost a podium through penalties, promoting Hadjar to third.

Gasly’s Penalties Changed the Podium Picture

Alpine briefly looked set for one of the stories of the season. Pierre Gasly crossed the line third, only to be dropped to seventh after two five-second penalties for pit-lane speeding.

That promoted Hadjar to the podium for Red Bull, giving the team something to celebrate after Verstappen’s immediate retirement. It also underlined the chaotic nature of Monaco 2026: Mercedes won cleanly, while several rival results were reshaped by penalties and incidents after the fact.

Monaco did not simply reward Mercedes. It punished almost everyone trying to challenge it. F1LiveUpdates analysis

Antonelli Stayed Clear of the Chaos

The defining difference was Antonelli’s control. While rivals broke down, hit trouble, lost track position or collected penalties, the Mercedes driver led from pole and handled the late restart pressure after a red flag caused by track damage.

Formula1.com described the victory as Antonelli’s fifth win of the season, extending his championship lead while team-mate George Russell failed to score. Reuters added that Antonelli has now built a 66-point lead over Hamilton and a 68-point margin over Russell after six races.

Why Monaco Matters Beyond One Race

Monaco is often dismissed as an outlier, but the 2026 race revealed something bigger about the championship. Mercedes can now win even when its rivals appear to have a circuit-specific opportunity.

Ferrari had the practice pace. Red Bull had the front-row threat. McLaren had recent Monaco pedigree. Alpine had a surprise podium on the road. None of it was enough to stop Antonelli, because every rival pathway collapsed before it could become a real challenge.

A Statement Win Built on Rival Mistakes

Mercedes did not need Monaco to be easy. It needed its lead driver to stay calm while everyone else encountered problems. Antonelli did exactly that.

The result leaves Mercedes’ rivals with an uncomfortable truth. They may be close enough to create hope on certain weekends, but not yet complete enough to consistently convert that hope into victories.

In Monaco, Mercedes’ rivals saw the door open. Then one by one, they watched it close.