Antonelli extends winning streak in Monaco as FIA confirms Red Bull engine benchmark
The FIA has granted Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities to Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, and Audi after identifying Red Bull’s in-house power unit as the performance leader.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured his fifth consecutive Formula One victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing 6.2 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The result extends Antonelli’s dominance in the 2026 season and moves him to the top of the drivers' championship with 156 points. Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, claimed his tenth podium at the circuit, equalling Ayrton Senna’s record, and moved into second place in the standings, 90 points behind the leader.
The race was significantly disrupted by deteriorating track conditions. A safety car was deployed on lap 60 after Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin understeered into the barrier. A red flag followed on lap 65 when Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari crashed at the final corner. While Leclerc attributed the incident to brake issues, evidence suggested the left front wheel was covered in broken tarmac, causing terminal understeer. The race resumed with a standing start once officials confirmed the surface stability.
Max Verstappen’s prospects were ended early by a power unit failure on the opening lap. Antonelli capitalised on the clear air, setting the fastest lap of the race and maintaining his lead throughout. Hamilton, who had topped the time sheets in the first two free practice sessions, found himself unable to match the Mercedes pace on race day, despite the Ferrari chassis being well-suited to Monaco’s tight confines.
Post-race penalties further reshuffled the finishing order. Multiple drivers, including Hamilton and George Russell, received penalties for speeding in the pit lane. The infractions stemmed from drivers taking a shorter route to avoid the Cadillac pit box, which triggered timing loop alerts for exceeding the 60 km/h limit by as little as 0.1 km/h. Russell finished 12th after a drive-through penalty, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was demoted from third to seventh despite overtaking Lando Norris earlier in the event.
In a significant regulatory development, the FIA announced that Red Bull’s in-house V6 engine is the performance benchmark for the grid. This designation grants Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) to manufacturers lagging in performance. Mercedes, found to be at least 2 percent down on the benchmark, will receive one upgrade for 2026 and one for 2027. Ferrari, Honda, and Audi, each assessed as being at least 4 percent behind, are entitled to two upgrades in each of the upcoming seasons.
