Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes once again proved to be the benchmark under Formula 1’s new regulations, while Charles Leclerc’s retirement raised fresh questions about Ferrari’s ongoing challenges.
Anyone who believed Mercedes’ success this season was purely down to engine performance has been forced to think again. Monaco highlighted the many strengths of the Silver Arrows, but above all it showcased Antonelli, who is increasingly establishing himself as the leading figure in this championship. The young Italian continues to build his success on an exceptional ability to extract the maximum from the 2026 cars and tyres, extending his advantage in the standings.
Somewhat surprisingly, Lewis Hamilton now sits as Antonelli’s closest challenger in the championship. While the seven-time world champion continues to make encouraging progress with Ferrari, Leclerc’s retirement provided a stark contrast, with the Monegasque driver left powerless after struggling with cold brakes following the Safety Car period.
Kimi flies while Russell struggles
Antonelli delivered yet another memorable day for Italian motorsport. Winning is rapidly becoming routine for the Bologna-born driver, but taking victory on the streets of Monte Carlo is one of those achievements that can define a career.
The Mercedes driver appears unstoppable, dominating the opening phase of the season. Perhaps the clearest illustration of his superiority came when he temporarily lapped his own teammate and title rival, George Russell.
Mercedes certainly owes Russell an apology after the team failed to serve his five-second penalty during his second pit stop, a mistake that ultimately resulted in a drive-through penalty. However, after a difficult weekend in Miami, Monaco brought another challenging event for the British driver, who was unable to exploit the full potential of the W17.
Russell pointed to the difference between his driving style and Antonelli’s. Interestingly, Antonelli had already predicted this situation a year ago after testing the new-generation cars in the simulator, describing them as more enjoyable to drive and hinting at a natural affinity with their characteristics.
Driving technique has become even more important in 2026. Pirelli has reported contrasting feedback from drivers within the same team, while tyre conditions can vary significantly despite identical machinery. Due in part to the reduced aerodynamic downforce of the new cars, the 2026 tyres have proven particularly prone to locking under braking. They also display a certain reluctance when transitioning from longitudinal loads during braking to lateral loads during corner entry.
That sensitivity on corner entry is one of Antonelli’s greatest strengths, helping him emerge as the standout performer of this new regulatory era. It certainly helps that he is also driving what currently appears to be the strongest car on the grid.
Mercedes is not just about engine power
In Monaco, Antonelli fully justified his victory with a race pace that no rival could match. Many expected the opening stint to be managed carefully in order to preserve tyre life before the pit-stop window, but the Italian pushed hard from the very beginning.
That aggressive approach reflected Mercedes’ complete confidence in its package. The team showed no fear of tyre degradation, despite track temperatures exceeding 40°C, conditions that quickly exposed Ferrari’s weaknesses.
One particularly revealing detail was that Antonelli’s pace advantage actually increased as the stint progressed. Towards the end of the first stint, he was gaining almost one second per lap on Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes has therefore confirmed that it has transformed last year’s weaknesses into strengths. The W17 now manages tyre temperatures exceptionally well and limits degradation over long runs. This characteristic is likely to become even more valuable during the hot European summer races, beginning with Barcelona.
It is also further proof that Mercedes’ success cannot be attributed solely to the impressive power unit produced in Brixworth.
A tale of two Ferraris
In both Monaco and the championship standings, Lewis Hamilton remains the closest driver to Antonelli. The multiple world champion built on his strong Canadian Grand Prix performance, continuing to improve his relationship with the Ferrari SF-26 thanks in part to the team’s revised setup philosophy.
However, assessing Hamilton’s progress becomes more complicated when compared to Leclerc’s struggles, which ultimately ended with retirement shortly after the first Safety Car.
“Three brakes out of four were not working,” Charles Leclerc explained. “The front-left was working properly, the front-right was working halfway, and the rear brakes were doing nothing at all.”
The lack of braking performance on the Ferrari SF-26 does not necessarily indicate a failure of the braking system or the Brembo components themselves. Leclerc did not rule out excessive wear, but he also reported being unable to bring the brakes back up to temperature during the Safety Car period.
This suggests that low brake temperatures, particularly at the rear axle where the electrical braking system plays a role, may have been at the heart of the problem.
More generally, Leclerc complained about braking feel throughout the entire Monaco weekend, much as he had done during Friday practice in Canada. Ferrari will now need to understand the root cause.
For his part, Leclerc revealed that a solution is already available and that it is the same one Lewis Hamilton has been using for the past three races. The answer could simply involve a different choice of materials and/or brake cooling configuration from options already available to the team, depending on driving preferences, energy recovery strategies and the demands of upcoming circuits.
Barcelona should provide the first important clues. For now, however, Ferrari is left disappointed after a Monaco weekend that seemed capable of delivering a stronger result.
Red Bull and McLaren hit by reliability problems
Another major disappointment came in the form of Max Verstappen, who was forced to retire early due to a power unit issue.
Lando Norris suffered a similar fate. This time it was the internal combustion engine that let him down, whereas on Friday it had been an electronics problem that sidelined the reigning world champion.
Monaco traditionally sees teams use power units that are already carrying significant mileage, increasing the likelihood of reliability issues. However, the fact that the failures involve the engine does not automatically mean the responsibility lies entirely with the engine manufacturer.
At McLaren, Team Principal Andrea Stella pointed out that reliability is also influenced by the integration between the power unit and the chassis. In addition, customer teams inevitably have less engine knowledge and fewer opportunities for bench testing compared to factory operations, particularly at the start of a new regulatory cycle.
Red Bull at least found some consolation through Isack Hadjar, who managed brake-by-wire issues effectively throughout the race and capitalised whenever opportunities arose.
The Austrian group also celebrated a strong performance from Racing Bulls, which finished fifth and sixth with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad respectively. The Faenza-based squad had already impressed by reaching Q3 with Lawson before making all the right strategic calls in a race packed with potential pitfalls.
As a result, the Italian team has moved closer to Alpine in the battle for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, adding another positive chapter to what was already a historic day for Italian motorsport.
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