Six races into the 2026 Formula 1 season and Kimi Antonelli is showing no signs of slowing down.
The 19-year-old sophomore continues to prove himself as the future of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 squad as he crossed the checkered flag in front at the iconic Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.
With the victory, Antonelli marked his fifth straight win this season as Mercedes remains the only team to have won a race in 2026.
“Job’s not finished. It’s still a long season. We got to keep pushing, keep raising the bar, and the goal is to keep performing like this,” Antonelli said post-race.
Antonelli Makes History Amid Retirement-Filled Race
After Antonelli secured pole position during yesterday’s qualifying with a lap time of 1:12.051, the Italian driver never once saw a car in front of him, leading all 78 laps en route to the victory.
With 10 laps remaining and a comfortable lead, tensions rose after the race was called for a restart following crashes from Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc, which broke the track up and prompted an immediate red flag. Antonelli remained composed, however, and a quick reaction to the red lights boosted him toward a significant lead over seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull youngster Isack Hadjar, ultimately securing the win.
Antonelli’s victory also made him the first Italian driver in 22 years to win in Monaco since Jarno Trulli’s only career victory in 2004. He is also the youngest driver ever to win in the Monte Carlo-based tilt.
Leclerc and Six Other Drivers Result in DNFs
After chalking up fourth place on the grid during qualifying, Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc failed to finish his home race after a brake failure in the 68th lap sent the newly-extended Ferrari driver straight to the walls.
Aside from Leclerc, the last two world champions were also unable to cross the checkered flag, as another battery issue struck Lando Norris to retirement in the 46th lap, while an engine issue with Max Verstappen forced the Dutch driver to the pits just seconds into the race. Ollie Bearman, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, and Carlos Sainz rounded out the retirees.
Meanwhile, Racing Bulls’ standouts Liam Lawson and Arvind Lindblad claimed 18 points for the team after finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, while a 10th-place finish for Sergio Perez claimed Cadillac’s first-ever points in F1.
The grid returns to action in the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday, June 14.
