Monaco remains the race Formula One cannot quite let go.
It’s fair to argue that the cars have outgrown the streets. Overtaking is painfully limited and Sunday often depends on what happened 24 hours earlier in qualifying. Yet the city, the walls, the history and the glamour still give it a hold over the sport; it is the defining circuit of F1.
Here are the main talking points ahead of race weekend:
Ferrari's best chance yet?
Monaco comes at just the right time for Ferrari. The SF26 has struggled to match Mercedes across the opening rounds, but Monte Carlo should bring more of its strengths into play. This is a circuit of short straights, heavy braking zones, kerbs, and low-speed corners. Power counts for less than agility, traction and the driver’s ability to place the car exactly where it needs to be.
That is why Ferrari are being talked about as genuine race favourites. Gazzetta dello Sport has leaned into the idea that the Scuderia could be the team to beat in Monaco, with Charles Leclerc viewed as the natural reference point and Lewis Hamilton as the dangerous outsider after his improved weekend in Canada. Mercedes may still have the broader package, but Monaco can compress the field and reward a car that works well over kerbs and in slower corners.
Leclerc will be keen to win his home race, especially as the Monegasque has just signed a new multi-year contract with Ferrari, reaffirming his devotion to the team that has yet to reward his talent. He has already taken three poles on this circuit and finally won at home in 2024. He came home second last year.
Hamilton’s second place in Canada suggested he is finally finding his groove with Ferrari after ignoring the simulator and leaning more on real data and his own experience.
Antonelli leads but it’s not over for Russell
Kimi Antonelli arrives in Monaco as the championship leader and the driver everyone is chasing. Four straight victories have given him a 43-point advantage over George Russell, his more experienced teammate and the man dubbed as the title favourite coming into the season. But the 19-year-old is having a remarkable second season in F1, taking every opportunity afforded to him.
The gap is now quite large, but the battle between the Mercedes drivers has been tighter than the standings suggest. One can argue that Russell has been unlucky and the Briton has shown enough speed to keep pressure on Antonelli. In Canada, he beat his teammate to both Sprint pole and Grand Prix pole before a power unit issue ended his race that Sunday.
However, qualifying matters in Monaco and Antonelli has outqualified Russell 3-to-2 in Grand Prix qualifying this season. More importantly, Russell has never finished on the podium in Monaco, but then he’s never driven a car as powerful as his current one. He needs to qualify on the front row to keep up with his teammate.
After Canada, Russell said: “Right now, it's his [championship] to lose; there are so many points ahead.” From Monaco, it is up to Russell to prove himself wrong.
Qualifying on Saturday will be the real show
Monaco’s place in modern F1 is always debated because overtaking has become so difficult around its narrow streets. Passing is possible, but track position is paramount. Strategy, safety cars and pit timing can alter a race, but the safest route to victory is still simple: start at the front, control the pace and make the car as wide as the circuit allows.
This is why Monaco tends to reward the drivers who commit fully when the walls close in. The laps demand total precision. The successful drivers are usually those who trust the rear, attack the kerbs and keep adding speed. Of course, luck plays a huge role.
In qualifying, this year’s cars may allow drivers to attack Monaco differently from some other venues. The circuit’s short straights and heavy braking zones should put more emphasis on commitment, braking stability and clean traction than outright deployment down long straights. Hopefully, there should still be enough jeopardy to create drama.
With 22 cars on track, traffic in Q1 could become one of the weekend’s deciding factors. One blocked lap or one yellow flag and it can change the entire grid and potentially the whole race the next day.
Can Red Bull find a cure?
Max Verstappen goes to Monaco with a car that still looks unstable over bumps and kerbs. He was asked in Montreal what Monaco might feel like in the RB22 and Verstappen was his usual zesty self. “Anywhere that it's bumpy is going to be difficult for us,” he said. “I think I’m going to order a new back!”
Red Bull’s concern is that Monaco punishes any car that cannot ride the bumps and kerbs cleanly. At other circuits, Verstappen can use race craft, tyre management and instinct to pull more from a difficult car. In Monte Carlo, the driver has fewer options to resolve the issues.
That also makes Isack Hadjar worth watching. His first season at Red Bull has already shown flashes of serious speed, and the qualifying head-to-head against Verstappen is closer than many expected, with Verstappen only 3-to-2 up in Grand Prix qualifying. Monaco can give a young driver the chance to make a statement if he settles in quickly and avoids the traffic traps.
