Kimi Antonelli led a chaotic and traffic-heavy FP3 at the Monaco GP as multiple incidents and a late red flag disrupted final preparations for qualifying.
The Monaco GP weekend so far
Ferrari wanted to carry its strong Monaco form into FP3, with Lewis Hamilton leading the way after topping Friday’s second practice session ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
Leclerc had already set the pace in a disrupted FP1, and Ferrari remained the benchmark throughout Friday’s running. Hamilton ultimately edged his team-mate in FP2 as the Scuderia duo traded fastest laps, underlining the team’s early advantage around the streets of Monte Carlo.
Verstappen emerged as Ferrari’s closest challenger, showing far stronger pace than in Montreal to finish third. Elsewhere, Lando Norris suffered an early stoppage, while a late red flag caused by a brake fire on Sergio Perez’s Cadillac brought the session to a premature end.
Green Flag and immediate issues
Ferrari maintained its strong Monaco pace in FP3 as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton once again emerged as the drivers to beat around the Principality.
Hamilton set the early benchmark with a 1:14.390s, holding a seven-tenths advantage over Leclerc as the circuit continued to evolve. As grip levels improved, the times rapidly tumbled, with Leclerc lowering the mark to a 1:13.748s to move ahead of George Russell and Hamilton.
Mercedes then briefly challenged Ferrari’s advantage through Kimi Antonelli. The Italian rookie jumped to the top of the timesheets with a 1:13.374s before improving further to a 1:13.137s, despite running aggressively over the kerbs through the Swimming Pool section. Leclerc soon responded to continue the battle at the head of the field.
While Ferrari and Mercedes traded fastest laps, Cadillac encountered another reliability concern after Valtteri Bottas reported smoke from his brakes. The Finn managed to nurse the car back to the pits without causing a stoppage, avoiding a repeat of Sergio Perez’s brake fire from Friday.
Elsewhere, Audi continued its encouraging form after placing both cars in the top 10 during Friday’s running. Gabriel Bortoleto ran eighth, with Nico Hulkenberg close behind in 10th as the team built on its recent upgrade package.
Isack Hadjar also continued his recovery from his heavy FP1 crash, while Liam Lawson survived a slide at the exit of Swimming Pool, and Alex Albon took to the Saint Devote runoff as drivers continued to push the limits around Monaco’s unforgiving streets.
The final push laps and a Red Flag
As the session entered its final phase, traffic once again became a major talking point around the narrow Monaco circuit. Leclerc was forced to abandon a promising flying lap after encountering a queue of cars backing up to create space ahead for their own qualifying simulations.
Amid the congestion, Antonelli continued to impress, setting a 1:12.720s to move to the top of the timesheets and establish the benchmark heading into the closing minutes.
The session was then interrupted by a red flag following a crash for Ollie Bearman at Massenet.
The Haas driver lost control while climbing the hill, moments after passing George Russell, and clipped the barriers, scattering debris across the circuit. Bearman emerged from the incident unhurt, but the stoppage disrupted several drivers who were in the middle of flying laps.
Speaking over the radio after the accident, Bearman apologised to the team and suggested the car had bottomed out prior to the crash.
The final practice session at the Monaco GP resumed with just four minutes remaining following Bearman’s crash, leaving teams with a final opportunity to complete qualifying simulations before the chequered flag.
Despite the late rush, there were no major incidents during the closing stages.
Charles Leclerc continued to voice concerns over his Ferrari’s brakes, an issue that had persisted throughout the session, while Alex Albon once again took to the Saint Devote runoff as drivers searched for the limit.
Mercedes remained one of Ferrari’s closest challengers, with Kimi Antonelli particularly impressive after spending much of the session near the top of the timesheets.
With no further improvements of note in the final minutes, attention quickly turned to qualifying as the field completed practice starts on the grid following the chequered flag.
READ MORE – F1 2026 Monaco Grand Prix – FP3 Results
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