Kimi Antonelli showed no signs of letting off the throttle to secure pole in Monaco while Red Bull found some surprising pace.
If anyone thought Kimi Antonelli might ease off after his dominant start to the 2026 Formula One season, the young Mercedes star delivered a clear response on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Antonelli once again proved why he is the man everyone is chasing, producing a blistering lap to claim pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Around a circuit where confidence is everything and mistakes are punished instantly, the Italian looked completely in control as he edged out Max Verstappen and continued his remarkable run of form.
The performance was another statement from a driver who has quickly become the benchmark in Formula One. Weekend after weekend Antonelli has combined raw speed with consistency, and Monaco was no different.
Even with Ferrari showing strong pace throughout practice and Red Bull steadily improving, nobody could find enough to deny him the top spot.
What made qualifying particularly interesting, however, was the emergence of Red Bull as a genuine threat.
After appearing to lag behind Mercedes and Ferrari at various points this season, the Milton Keynes outfit seems to have unlocked valuable performance in recent races.
Verstappen’s front-row start was evidence that Red Bull are beginning to close the gap, while the overall balance of the car looked considerably stronger than it did earlier in the campaign.
More significantly, Red Bull appear to have quietly moved ahead of last season’s main rivals McLaren in the pecking order. McLaren entered 2026 hoping to build on their previous title challenge, but Monaco qualifying suggested they are currently playing catch-up.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were unable to match the pace at the front, while Verstappen extracted everything from a Red Bull package that continues to improve.
Ferrari, meanwhile, remain frustratingly close but not quite close enough.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton once again demonstrated that Ferrari have a fast and reliable car capable of fighting near the front. Their consistency has been one of the team’s strengths this season, particularly on circuits requiring precision and confidence.
Yet the same problem remains. Ferrari can challenge Antonelli, but they cannot beat him.
Whether it is over a single lap or across a race distance, Mercedes and Antonelli continue to find that little bit extra when it matters most. In Monaco, that difference was enough to secure pole position once again and reinforce the feeling that the rest of the grid is still chasing a driver who refuses to slow down.
