Kimi Antonelli takes pole after a thrilling Monaco GP qualifying session

Qualifying at Monaco is always special, and this time it certainly lived up to expectations. The session was intense and closely fought, with several drivers in contention for pole position right until the final moments. In the end, it was the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, who came out on top: the Italian stopped the clocks at 1:12.051, just a few thousandths ahead of Max Verstappen in second with a 1:12.094. Third fastest was Lewis Hamilton, who finished on 1:12.279. This was Antonelli’s fourth pole position.

Qualifying took place in perfect conditions, with clear skies and ambient temperatures of around 23 °C. All drivers ran the C5 compound, exploiting it to the maximum. In Q1, some were able to complete multiple flying laps on the same set of tyres. In Q3, the top three all carried out an out-lap followed by a fast preparation lap before their decisive attempt.

Earlier, in the third free practice session, the drivers also ran exclusively on Soft tyres. Track temperatures reached 48 °C. Despite an interruption caused by an accident involving Oliver Bearman and the resulting red flag, the teams were able to complete a good number of laps to prepare as effectively as possible for the subsequent qualifying session. Once again, Antonelli was the fastest, setting a time of 1:12.720.

The Pirelli Pole Position Award was presented to the Mercedes driver by Eileen Gu. The 22-year-old is the only athlete to have competed in all three freestyle skiing disciplines, winning at least one medal in each. Her palmarès includes three golds and three silvers achieved between the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games and Milano-Cortina 2026.

Kimi Antonelli – Pole Position

‘Pole position in Monaco is an incredible result. The team did an amazing job to get the car in a good place, particularly with the improvements we made overnight after a difficult Friday. It was such a tight fight out there with so many other cars and drivers that looked capable of taking P1. I am delighted to come away with pole therefore and I’m already looking forward to tomorrow.

‘Qualifying wasn’t completely straightforward at the start. The car felt a bit on edge but as the session went on, everything started to come together. We made the right adjustments, and I felt much more comfortable with where the car was by the time we got to Q3. That gave me the confidence to really push when it mattered.

‘That final segment of the session was extremely tense and you never quite know what to expect. Finding those last few tenths is never easy, especially with Max (Verstappen) so close all the way through. It really came down to nailing the lap at the right moment and I’m very pleased we were able to do that.

‘To be on pole here means a lot, but at the same time, it’s only the first step. I know who’s around me on the grid, and I’m sure they’ll be putting on the pressure from the very start. The focus now is on getting a strong launch and managing the race from there. We’ve shown good pace all weekend, which gives me confidence, but Monaco is always unpredictable. I’ll try to stay calm, make the most of the opportunity, and see what we can achieve tomorrow.’

Max Verstappen – P2

“I am really happy with my performance, if you had told me yesterday that we would be on the front row, I would have definitely taken it! It was a bit of a surprise as this morning I think we had a few difficulties with the car, so ending up on the front row I think was extremely positive. The cars are a bit more on edge than the last few years. When the power kicks in, as well as drivability and shifts, it’s all a bit different. When you get a clean lap and can go flat out on the limit, it feels great and very rewarding. This is the most important session of the weekend and I am happy to be where we are. I’m very happy with how all the laps went, even though you have to deal with all the traffic and the walls. Tomorrow, it is critical to get the start right, it can get a bit complicated and I have two cars behind me that start quite well, so let’s see. A lot can happen so it’s all to play for.”

Dario Marrafuschi – Pirelli Motorsport Director

‘There is no other race weekend in which Saturday is as important as the Grand Prix itself. At Monaco, in fact, the position secured in qualifying often determines the final result on Sunday, as overtaking is extremely difficult.

‘It is therefore clear that those who set the best times today will already start with an advantage, regardless of the strategies devised by their respective teams. The low tyre degradation traditionally seen on the streets of the Principality allows the teams to make a single stop tomorrow to comply with the obligation to use two compounds.

‘Strategies can be built using all the tyres available, with combinations that are very close to one another in terms of performance. A couple of options could feature a final stint on the Hard, starting on either Soft or Medium, with the pit stop respectively between laps 29 and 35 or between laps 33 and 39.

‘However, we believe that the teams could make effective use of the higher grip offered by the two softer compounds. The extensive use of the C5 in Montreal and again today should have provided them with the data needed to integrate it successfully into the Monaco race as well. By exploiting the initial grip of the Soft, they could then switch to the Medium between laps 31 and 37.

‘It should be borne in mind that there are many possible variants and, above all, that the pit stop windows can also be significantly influenced by red flags and neutralisations. One only has to recall what happened two years ago, when a collision on the opening lap sent everyone immediately into the pits to make what turned out to be the only stop of the day for the majority of drivers.’

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