Mercedes rookie Antonelli beats Leclerc, Hamilton ahead of Monaco qualifying
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished at top in the final practice session ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, beating Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, after setting the fastest lap.
He topped the timesheets in the final practice session on Saturday after posting an impressive time of 1m 12.720s on soft tyres. The young Italian race car driver showcased impressive performance after the legendary duo of Charles Leclerc and seven-time F1 champion dominated the practice session on Friday.
Antonelli’s run has put Mercedes directly in contention with other teams for the pole position. Qualifying is often considered more important than the race itself at Monaco because overtaking opportunities are extremely limited on the narrow street circuit.
However, Mercedes is expected to face a significant challenge from Ferrari for the pole position as both of their drivers finished 2nd and 3rd in the final practice session.
Monaco-born Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished second while his team mate Hamilton finished third in the session.
Here are the final standings from the third and final practice session ahead of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
With Antonelli, Leclerc and Hamilton separated by only a few tenths of a second, qualifying is shaping up to be one of the most competitive sessions of the season.
It is pertinent to note that practice sessions do not award any points to the athletes; however, Antonelli’s performance sent a strong message that Mercedes cannot be overlooked in the battle for pole position.
