2026 Monaco Grand Prix FP3 Report: Kimi Antonelli Tops Final Practice Times Ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

Kimi Antonelli topped final practice for Mercedes in Monaco with a lap of 1m 12.720s on soft tyres, edging Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by more than three tenths and finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The performance came in the last session before qualifying, giving teams a final chance to refine setups and build confidence on Monaco’s tight street circuit before the crucial hour that will decide the grid.

McLaren entered the session after confirming extensive repairs to Lando Norris’ car following his stoppage in Friday’s second practice. The team said it had broken curfew to replace the wiring harness and ESME pack within the permitted allocation, allowing Norris to return to track for the final running before qualifying.

Ferrari and Aston Martin were among the first out on track, alongside Valtteri Bottas for Cadillac and Liam Lawson for Racing Bulls. Bottas was the first driver to encounter serious trouble when smoke emerged from his brakes, forcing him to limp back to the pits. His Cadillac team mate Sergio Perez had already suffered a brake fire in FP2, adding to the team’s problems on a difficult weekend.

As the session settled and more cars joined the circuit, Ferrari initially looked strong. Leclerc posted the benchmark time of 1m 15.184s before Hamilton improved significantly to go seven tenths quicker. Norris then briefly moved to the top by 0.015s as the lap times began to fall on the red-walled soft tyres.

Mercedes, which had looked uncompetitive on Friday, found far more pace as George Russell and Antonelli improved their positions. The Italian then produced a decisive lap, gaining time in the opening two sectors to set the fastest time of the weekend and establish himself as the driver to beat ahead of qualifying.

His effort was followed by a red flag after Ollie Bearman crashed his Haas at Massenet. Bearman suffered a heavy slide and hit the wall, leaving debris across the circuit and interrupting the final runs. The session resumed late, but no driver was able to challenge Antonelli’s benchmark before the chequered flag.

Leclerc finished second despite reporting that his brakes felt “horrendous,” with Hamilton third. Russell took fourth for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Gabriel Bortoleto impressed with seventh for Audi, continuing the team’s strong practice form in Monaco, while Nico Hulkenberg placed 10th.

Behind them, Isack Hadjar and Norris completed the top 10. Esteban Ocon was 11th for Haas, followed by Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly and Bearman’s damaged Haas. Lawson and Arvid Lindblad filled the next positions for Racing Bulls, with Alex Albon splitting the pair in 16th. Perez, Colapinto, Bottas and the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completed the classification.

With final practice complete, the teams now turn their attention to qualifying in Monaco, where pole position is especially valuable on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.