What the Teams Said: 2026 Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying Reaction

Mercedes enjoyed a strong qualifying session in Monaco as Kimi Antonelli took pole position with a lap of 1:12.051, becoming the first driver to break the 1m 13s barrier in FP3 before delivering again when it mattered in Q3. The result marked the fourth pole of Antonelli’s career and confirmed the pace Mercedes had shown throughout the weekend, especially after overnight setup improvements following a difficult Friday. Antonelli said the car felt nervous at the start of qualifying, but the team made the right changes and he was able to build confidence as the session progressed. By Q3, he felt comfortable enough to attack the final lap and secure top spot in a tightly contested fight involving several leading teams.

George Russell had a much tougher day and could only manage sixth place, 0.394s behind Antonelli. Russell admitted that “nothing’s clicking” for him and said he has been struggling recently to get the tyres working in the way he needs. He explained that his driving style may not be suiting the latest generation of cars, even though the approach worked well last year. Russell said FP3 had been encouraging, but that level of performance did not carry through the rest of qualifying. He acknowledged that starting from sixth in Monaco could make for a long race, though he remained hopeful that the unpredictable nature of the circuit could still create opportunities.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised Antonelli’s pole lap, calling it a fantastic effort in a session where Ferrari and Red Bull also looked competitive. Wolff noted that Mercedes has historically struggled in Monaco and had not taken pole there for seven years, making the result especially significant. He also backed Russell, saying the Briton simply has not felt comfortable in the car this weekend and has lacked the confidence needed to extract full performance on a demanding street circuit like Monaco.

Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin credited the overnight work done by engineers, including simulator analysis, for improving the car’s stability and predictability after Friday’s problems. He said both drivers looked better in FP3, but qualifying became more difficult as the circuit lost grip early on. Antonelli adapted well as the track improved, while Russell continued to struggle because the tyres never felt fully responsive. Shovlin said the team will continue to investigate why the two cars, despite similar setups, felt so different.

Looking ahead to the race, Mercedes said pole position is only the first step in Monaco, where strategy, traffic, and safety cars often play a major role. The team’s immediate target is to help Antonelli convert pole into victory and recover positions for Russell in what is expected to be a long and unpredictable Grand Prix.