Antonelli becomes the youngest-ever polesitter in Monaco, Verstappen equals Senna for the fourth-most front row starts and both Williams drivers record their best qualifying result of the season so far. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix!
ANTONELLI ON POLE AT THE 2026 MONACO GRAND PRIX
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, becoming the 60th driver to secure as many as four poles in Formula 1 history. Antonelli has secured pole at four of the last five races.
At 19 years old, Antonelli became the first teenager to take pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix. He broke the record for the youngest polesitter in Monaco by almost four years, which was previously held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 when he took pole position for the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix.
This was the first pole position for Mercedes in Monaco since Lewis Hamilton started from the front of the grid in 2019.
This was the 13th time that a Mercedes-powered car took pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, equalling Ferrari as the most successful engine manufacturer in qualifying at Circuit de Monaco.
This was Antonelli’s first Q3 appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix, having qualified 15th on his first F1 appearance here in 2025.
IN THE TOP TEN
Max Verstappen qualified in second place for the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix. This was his 87th front row qualification, moving ahead of Alain Prost in the all-time list and equalling Ayrton Senna for fourth place.
This was Verstappen’s second front row qualification of the season, having last qualified on the first row at the Miami Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton equalled his best qualifying result of the season so far, setting the third fastest time in Q3.
This was Hamilton’s best Monaco Grand Prix qualifying result since taking his latest pole at Circuit de Monaco in 2019.
After hitting the wall in the closing stages of Q3, Charles Leclerc qualified in fourth place. It was the fourth time this year that he qualified in fourth place.
This was the first time since 2019 that Leclerc qualified outside of the top three at his home race.
With fifth place in qualifying for the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, Isack Hadjar recorded his best Saturday result since qualifying third for the first race of the season at Albert Park.
George Russell recorded his worst qualifying result of the season so far, lining up sixth on the grid. This was his first qualification outside of the top five since the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
This was the first time since their front row lockout in 2019 that both Mercedes drivers qualified in the top six for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri equalled his worst qualifying result of the season, setting the seventh fastest time in Q3. He also qualified seventh for the Miami Grand Prix.
Qualifying eighth, Lando Norris recorded his worst qualifying result of the season so far. This was the first time he qualified outside of the top seven since the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he qualified tenth.
This was the first time since the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix that neither McLaren driver qualified in the top six positions.
Pierre Gasly qualified in ninth place and reached Q3 for the fourth time from the six races so far this year.
Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar maintained their 100% Q3 appearance rates at the Monaco Grand Prix. Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Webber, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are the only other drivers who never missed out on Q3 on all their appearances in Monaco after the knockout system was introduced in 2006.
Qualifying tenth, this was Lawson’s first Q3 appearance since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
ELIMINATED IN Q2
Both Williams drivers recorded their best qualifying result of the season so far. Alex Albon qualified 11th, while Carlos Sainz was 12th.
This was the first time since the Australian Grand Prix that Albon out-qualified Sainz. This was the sixth season in a row that Sainz was out-qualified by his team-mate in Monaco.
This was Sainz’s worst-ever qualifying result in Monaco and only the second time, after 2025, that he failed to reach Q3 at the track.
It was Albon’s best qualifying result since reaching Q3 at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix.
Both Audi drivers were eliminated in Q2 at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix. Gabriel Bortoleto crashed out in Q1 but his lap time was good enough to see him through to Q2.
It was the second year in a row that Bortoleto qualified 16th for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Nico Hulkenberg maintained his record of exiting in Q2 at every race so far this year. Qualifying 13th, he equalled his worst qualifying result of the season so far, having qualified 11th at the other four races to date this season.
This was the 11th time from his 13 appearances to date at the Monaco Grand Prix that Hulkenberg was eliminated in Q2.
This was the first time since 2021 that neither of the Hinwil team’s drivers were eliminated in Q1 at the Monaco Grand Prix.
OUT IN Q1
Aston Martin, Cadillac and Haas saw both of their drivers eliminated in Q1. This was Haas’ first double Q1 exit of the year, while both Aston Martin and Cadillac have recorded double Q1 eliminations at every race this season to date.
This is only the second time since 2009, after 2019, that both of the Silverstone-based team’s drivers have exited in Q1 at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso equalled his worst qualifying result of the year with 21st place.
Lance Stroll set the slowest lap time of the 22 drivers in Q1, qualifying in 22nd place for the third time this season.
This was Haas’ first double Q1 exit since the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix, as well as the team’s third double Q1 exit in Monaco, after 2021 and 2023.
Esteban Ocon recorded his first Q1 exit at the Monaco Grand Prix since his first appearance at Circuit de Monaco in 2017.
This was Ocon’s second consecutive Q1 exit.
Ollie Bearman recorded his second Q1 exit of the year – his first since the Japanese Grand Prix. Bearman is yet to make it out of Q1 in Monaco, having qualified 17th here last year.
Sergio Perez has exited in Q1 on all of his last three appearances at the Monaco Grand Prix.
With 18th place, Perez equalled Cadillac’s best qualifying result to date. He also qualified 18th for the Australian Grand Prix.