In Monaco the 19-year-old Italian wrote another page of history and disappointed the expectations of many rivals: from his teammate’s desire for redemption to the Monegasque who hoped to celebrate his renewal with Ferrari, up to the Dutchman beaten in a memorable qualifying
Kimi Antonelli flies, becomes the youngest winner of the Monaco GP, with 5 victories in a row he goes on the run in the World Championship and every weekend rewrites records over and over again. It’s like a hurricane in F1 right now. And as a hurricane passes, numerous side effects remain behind. His exploits overwhelmed all his opponents. Yesterday, for example, in Monte Carlo, shortly before Lance Stroll’s accident, the race pace of the 19-year-old from Bologna had relentlessly sucked in all his opponents; only the two Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton (2nd) and Charles Leclerc (3rd) were at full speed. The red flag saved many from the humiliation of dubbing in the order of arrival. Among them was also George Russell, who had just suffered the shame of the blue flag, recently waved to let his young companion pass.
Russell out of points
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For English it is a very delicate moment. After his maiden victory in Australia, he seemed to be the natural candidate to win this title. Antonelli turned the championship upside down and sent it into a kind of nightmare. He himself, at least in official statements, appears confused. After China and Japan he said he wanted to stay focused on himself and not think about bad luck. But after Miami, Canada and Monte Carlo, he started talking about a car that suits his teammate better. After a qualifying which ended with a gap of almost four tenths from Kimi, his race was compromised by incorrect management of penalties by the Mercedes wall. Despite a potential podium, Russell finished outside the points due to an automatic drive-through, resulting from failure to comply with the mandatory five-second stop during a tire change under the Safety Car. And George appears visibly shaken by a series of episodes that derailed his start to the championship.
George in disbelief
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“I struggle to understand how it has gone so far – admitted the driver, citing the 40 points lost due to external factors, such as the timing of the Safety Car in Japan or the retirement while leading in Canada -. It’s an incredibly difficult pill to swallow, the whole season could look totally different”. Russell described his current psychological state as “very strange”, noting that he had never experienced a similar run of bad luck in his entire career: “Now that I have the car, it’s very painful, but the road is long. I still believe in myself.” Toto Wolff tried to put water on the fire, attributing Russell’s difficulties to a loss of confidence rather than a lack of talent. “Formula 1 is physical, not mystical. You don’t unlearn driving – declared the Mercedes team principal – in Monaco, more than on any other circuit, you have to be one with the car. Once you lose confidence, it’s difficult to be fast here”. Wolff defended his driver by recalling the pole and victory in the sprint race in Canada just two weeks earlier, reiterating that “George will come back very strong”. Today, via social media, George took courage: “Even if everything seems against it, I remain positive and will continue to fight. Every single day! Thanks for everyone’s support and I’ll see you soon.”
leclerc and the troubles at home
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Another “victim” of Hurricane Antonelli is Charles Leclerc. For the Monegasque from Ferrari, the home GP which he hoped to win, or where he at least hoped to celebrate the fresh contract renewal with the Cavallino, was instead yet another disappointment. While occupying third position, Principino slipped into the barriers of the Anthony Noghes due to what he described as a total collapse of the braking system. Leclerc bitterly stated that only one of the four brakes was operational after the Safety Car phase, making the car “impossible” to manage. The episode triggered a remote controversy with the supplier Brembo, which defined the driver’s accusations as “surprising” and “premature” before a joint analysis of the telemetry data. But the breakdown, however sensational, is not the only uncomfortable reading that Leclerc takes away from Monte Carlo. In the background there remains a fact that had never materialized in the whole of 2025: for two consecutive races, Canada and Monaco, Lewis Hamilton finished in front of him. This never happened last season, when the Monegasque had systematically dominated the internal competition. Now something has cracked and it is not certain that it is just a matter of episodes. The Englishman seems to have found a better adaptation, working on a brake configuration that Leclerc, significantly, decided to adopt only starting from the next round in Spain. Not to mention the continuous messages of appreciation to the team and the feeling with the car that Hamilton continues to provide, something that clashes with the status of Leclerc, someone who no later than a few days ago announced his multi-year renewal with Maranello.
folded also max
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Antonelli didn’t even have mercy on His Majesty Max Verstappen. And we are certainly not referring to the start of the GP, where the Red Bull power unit betrayed the totally innocent Dutchman. We are referring to the Italian’s prowess in qualifying, capable of beating the four-time world champion on his own turf: the fight for pole among the narrow streets of what, ultimately, is also the home of Max, who has lived in the Principality for years now. The 43 thousandths, all built in the very last sector of the track, also stunned the entire Mercedes garage, which from the telemetry saw Kimi behind in practically all of that last fast lap. And instead, under the checkered flag, here is Kimi in P1. Which in Monaco means three quarters of victory in your pocket. Not even time to breathe and for Russell, Leclerc and Verstappen there is already the opportunity to relaunch. The world championship moves to Barcelona, a circuit that does not forgive aerodynamic deficiencies or driving uncertainties. Montmelò is a demanding track that often gives the definitive dimension to the competitiveness of a single-seater. For Russell and Leclerc the pressure has certainly increased. If Verstappen can look at the Red Bull crisis with a certain detachment, the Englishman and the Monegasque must respond to their unleashed teammates. A significant fact: Monaco was the first race of 2026 in which both Russell and Leclerc returned home without points over the weekend. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, it’s still not a good sign.
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