Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished on top in the final practice session before the Monaco Grand Prix, beating Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, after setting the fastest lap.
He topped the timesheets during Saturday’s final free practice session after setting an impressive time of 1’12”720 on soft tyres. The young Italian racing driver put in an impressive performance after the legendary duo of Charles Leclerc and the seven-time F1 champion dominated Friday’s practice session.
Antonelli’s run put Mercedes directly in contention with other teams for pole position. Qualifying is often considered more important than the race itself in Monaco because overtaking opportunities are extremely limited on the narrow street circuit.
However, Mercedes are expected to face a significant challenge from Ferrari for pole position as both their drivers finished 2nd and 3rd in the final practice session.
Monaco-born Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished second while his teammate Hamilton finished third in the session.
Here are the final rankings from the third and final practice session before the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
With Antonelli, Leclerc and Hamilton separated by only a few tenths of a second, qualifying promises to be one of the toughest sessions of the season.
It is pertinent to note that the workouts do not award any points to the athletes; However, Antonelli’s performance sent a strong message that Mercedes cannot be overlooked in the battle for pole position.
