Last Updated: 15 June 2026 (17:35 UTC)
Editor’s Note: A few days after this article was published, the FIA overturned Pierre Gasly’s penalty, promoting him to P3 and dropping Isack Hadjar to P4. The analysis and cover picture below reflects the race classification that was in place at the time of publication.
The 2026 Formula One (F1) Monaco GP was very much the antithesis of the traditional races held at this venue. Kimi Antonelli claimed his fifth consecutive win and strengthened his lead in the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC).
The race was eventful, involving multiple crashes, penalties, and retirements. Let’s look back at who had it best amid all of this and who fell victim to the chaos in The Sports Side’s Biggest Hits and Misses format.
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Hit: Kimi Antonelli gets his fifth win and claims a grand slam
Kimi Antonelli delivered yet another incredible performance and claimed his fifth victory. On a track that was not suited to the Mercedes car, Antonelli secured pole position on Saturday. During Sunday’s race, the 19-year-old made a good start and built a significant advantage.
Behind him, chaos unfolded at regular intervals, with drivers crashing, receiving penalties, and triggering safety cars and race restarts, but he kept his calm from pole to flag. With this win, the Italian became the youngest F1 driver to complete a grand slam. He also extended his championship lead to 66 points.
Miss: Charles Leclerc misses a chance for a home win
Coming into the Barcelona weekend, there were high expectations for the Monegasque. This was his best shot at victory since Monaco was the most suitable track for Ferrari. He started fourth on the grid. The Monegasque faced multiple brake issues, and his struggle came to an end when he hit the wall at Turn 19.
This was another disappointing outing for Leclerc at his home race, coming on the same weekend that he renewed his contract with Ferrari.
Hit: Lewis Hamilton’s second consecutive podium
Leclerc was unable to capitalize on Ferrari’s Monaco advantage, but Hamilton did so successfully, claiming his second consecutive podium of the year. He qualified behind Verstappen in P3 and moved into second place as Verstappen struggled at the start.
He also recovered from a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. The Briton is now second in the Drivers’ Championship after this result.
Miss: Pierre Gasly misses the podium due to penalties
Pierre Gasly had a good start to the weekend by making it into Q3 during Saturday’s qualifying. He crossed the chequered flag believing he had finished on the podium and celebrated wildly. However, he had received two five-second penalties, resulting in a combined 10-second penalty, which his engineer did not communicate to him during the race. The 10-second penalty demoted him from P3 to P7.
Gasly was visibly frustrated afterward. Alpine has decided to appeal the decision. Even if the appeal goes in Alpine’s favour, Gasly has missed the opportunity to stand on the Monaco podium.
Hit: Isack Hadjar gets second career podium
Isack Hadjar claimed the second podium of his career and his first with Red Bull. It was not a straightforward podium, as he faced repeated technical issues that could have ruined his race. The team managed those issues very well, helping him secure a place on the iconic Monaco podium.
Miss: George Russell’s tough season continues
George Russell qualified in P6 and had a few opportunities to gain positions, whether through Max Verstappen’s poor start or an undercut against Hadjar, but Russell fell victim to pit-stop penalties. A miscommunication with the pit crew meant he did not serve his five-second penalty correctly, rendering the restart useless for him. As a result, he finished P12 and 43 seconds behind the race leader.
Russell entered the championship as the favourite to win but has now fallen to third in the WDC.
Now, Russell has a chance to bounce back in Barcelona this weekend.
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