Antonowitz Leads Monaco

Kimi Antonelli Claims Monaco Pole for Mercedes After Dramatic Performance Swing and Engineering Gains

Kimi Antonelli set the tone in Monaco by going quickest in final practice for Mercedes, posting a 1:12.720 lap and ending Ferrari’s brief advantage before qualifying on the tight, overtaking-limited streets. In qualifying, the 19-year-old produced a late “magic lap” to win pole at 1:12.051, edging Max Verstappen by just 0.043 seconds and putting Mercedes in control at the front. Ferrari, which looked strong earlier, saw its momentum fade: Lewis Hamilton qualified third and Charles Leclerc fourth after a difficult session. McLaren’s landmark 1,000th grand prix weekend struggled, with Oscar Piastri down in seventh and Lando Norris eighth, leaving them facing a potentially long race. Antonelli’s pole caps a dramatic swing in performance over the weekend, after practice disruptions and late-session changes left the competitive order wide open heading into Sunday.

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