Antonelli secures Monaco pole as Ferrari’s practice dominance fades
The 19-year-old Italian becomes the first from his country to take pole in the principality since 2004, leaving Ferrari on the second row despite strong practice performances.
Kimi Antonelli has secured pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, driving for Mercedes and edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a margin of 0.043 seconds. The 19-year-old Italian clocked a qualifying time of 1:12.051 on his final lap, becoming the first driver from his country to take pole in the principality since Jarno Trulli in 2004. Antonelli, who currently leads the championship after winning the previous four races, claimed his fourth pole in six races this season.
The result marks a significant shift in performance dynamics, particularly for Ferrari, who had dominated Friday’s practice sessions. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished first and second in both practice outings, leading to widespread expectation that the Italian team would be the race favourites. However, Ferrari qualified third and fourth respectively, with Hamilton 0.228 seconds off the pace. Leclerc had held provisional pole late in the session but clipped the wall at the Rascasse corner on his final attempt, stopping his car and losing the top spot.
Mercedes driver George Russell qualified sixth, trailing Antonelli by 43 points in the standings. Russell noted the stark contrast in the car’s behaviour between sessions, stating that the vehicle was "drastically different" in qualifying compared to practice. Despite this, Antonelli remained composed, describing his winning lap as one where he was able to "put it all together."
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar qualified fifth, recovering from a crash during Friday practice. His teammate Max Verstappen, who finished second, acknowledged the difficulty of the session. "If you would have told me yesterday I would be on the front row, I would have taken it," Verstappen said. Reigning world champion Lando Norris and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified on the fourth row, dealing a blow to the team’s hopes in their 1,000th Grand Prix.
Historical data suggests the pole position holder holds a substantial advantage at Monaco, with only six of the last 22 races won by a driver starting off the front row. The last three editions were all won by the pole-sitter, although Hamilton did win from third in 2016. Antonelli, who finished 18th at this event 12 months ago, now faces the pressure of leading the championship while aiming to emulate Trulli’s conversion of pole into victory.
