Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished on top in the final practice session ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, beating Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after setting the fastest lap.
He topped the timesheets in the final practice session on Saturday after clocking an impressive 1m 12.720s on soft tyres. The young Italian racer produced impressive performances after legendary duo Charles Leclerc and seven-time F1 champion dominated the practice session on Friday.
Antonelli’s race has 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 standings from the third and final practice session ahead of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
With Antonelli, Leclerc and Hamilton separated by just a few tenths of a second, qualifying is shaping up to be one of the most competitive sessions of the season.
It is pertinent to note that training sessions 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.
