F1 fans have often said to me, ‘we are thinking of going to Monaco, where should we get a grandstand seat and isn’t race day all about follow the leader?’I have to point out I don’t know as I haven’t sat in a grandstand seat for over 40 years because I’m in the pits and commentary boxes, but do advise them to fully absorb the sights, sounds, and incredible atmosphere, and enjoy all track running on Friday and particularly qualifying on Saturday, usually the best of the year, and hope to get lucky on Sunday for a good race.
This year’s race gave us a full house as far as I’m concerned. The weather was great, qualifying was a last driver over the line cliff-hanger, and then one of the more chaotic races unfolded on Sunday, which was still playing out more than two hours after the chequered flag.
It’s rare that I feel the need to study the official final classified results to be sure of who finished where having just talked about it uninterrupted for two and a half hours, but I did on this occasion.Kimi Antonelli made less mistakes than all the other front runners despite his relatively limited experience, and claimed pole position in sensational style. As race day would demonstrate too, he has found an overdrive for even more speed and is totally at one with his car and team. I thought he’d make mistakes here and clout the barrier at some point, but he was committed yet precise and controlled.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix
The grid was bustling as always and informative too in different ways, but all thoughts were on the short dash to the first corner. Kimi had Max Verstappen to his left who’d done a tremendous job in qualifying in his Red Bull on the front row.
Behind him were the two fast starting Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, surely this would be big pressure for the teenager?
Not a bit of it, he made the perfect start, didn’t lock his front brakes into the first corner, and then dominated the race, building a half-minute lead before the safety car was called when Lance Stroll crashed in the final turn on lap 60 of 78.Antonelli just missed the pit entry and so pitted on lap 61 but comfortably retained the lead, which of course was diminished with the…
2026-06-08 18:20:00
