KEY MOMENTSHadjar crashed in FP1 after complaints about bouncingNorris stops and retires from FP2Leclerc topped FP1 from Hamilton in Ferrari 1-2
The sixth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the Monaco Grand Prix.
A divisive event among the F1 fanbase, Monaco is still viewed as the jewel in the championship’s crown, with the narrow, twisting streets offering a challenge seen nowhere else on the calendar. With no time to rest on the 19-turn, 3.337km layout, even the smallest of mistakes can carry a huge penalty.
Don’t expect to see too much focus on long runs across Friday, with the focus solely on securing an elevated grid position, given how difficult overtaking is in the Principality – a point highlighted by the fact that only Lance Stroll completed an on-track overtake after lap one in 2025.
Kimi Antonelli arrives in Monaco full of confidence after winning the Canadian Grand Prix, to make it four straight victories for the Italian teenager. Should he take to the top step of the podium in Monaco, he will equal Lewis Hamilton’s greatest winning streak, with the seven-time champion twice achieving five on the bounce.
But he will face stiff competition from Mercedes team-mate George Russell, with whom he engaged in a tense wheel-to-wheel battle in Montreal before the Briton retired through a reliability issue.
McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari will also fancy their chances of disrupting Mercedes’ early dominance, with Monaco often throwing up a surprise result in the midst of a dominant era.
Given its strength in low and mid-speed corners, Ferrari has been widely tipped as the favourite for success in Monaco, with home hero Charles Leclerc looking to replicate his 2024 success.
2026 Monaco Grand Prix Friday schedule
FP1 12:30pm BST – 1:30pm BST
FP2: 4:00pm BST – 5:00pm BST