Antonelli wins – Kimi Antonelli won a bizarre, delayed Monaco Grand Prix to extend his record run, taking control again after a red flag for a crash involving Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton finished second, Isack Hadjar secured third after an engine-related fight and a red-fl
MONACO — Kimi Antonelli looked ready to have the Monaco story all sewn up with 10 laps remaining, then the race fell apart under the weight of the barriers and the unforgiving track.
The asphalt broke away. two cars crashed in quick succession. and Charles Leclerc — running third — was caught up in the stoppage. When the red flag finally came, the drama wasn’t finished yet. The delay felt as long as the tension. and drivers waited in the pit lane while officials inspected damage and a road-sweeping machine inched along to clear loose stones.
After the restart from a standing start, Antonelli took control again and this time he didn’t let the moment slip. He crossed the line to become the youngest F1 winner in Monaco, never again in real danger of being overtaken on the tight, twisty circuit threaded between metal barriers.
Lewis Hamilton. who has 105 career wins — the most of any driver — was left in the runner-up spot. telling Antonelli after the race. “You’re catching me up.” Hamilton. who was second on Sunday. admitted he’d spend the rest of the year trying to close the gap. Antonelli now has five wins in a row and leads by 66 points over Hamilton.
Hamilton said, “He’s only 19, so just imagine what the future holds for him, but I’m going to do my best to try and chase him down for the rest of the year,” adding, “It’s a real privilege to witness it.”
Antonelli said he needed to find his focus again after the interruption. but stayed cool during the uncertainty of whether the race would even come back. He then offered a message straight to the people who built the car that delivered the comeback win: “Thank you so much guys. the car was a beast today.”.
The race’s disruption only intensified everything around it. Drivers and teams were left to deal with penalties and investigations, and even with the chequered flag, the final standings carried enough doubt that they remained uncertain for a time.
Isack Hadjar was confirmed third for Red Bull after battling engine problems and holding off an investigation tied to the red-flag restart. Hadjar had faced scrutiny for a potential breach of red-flag rules after the FIA’s technical delegate said Red Bull had tried to replace engine parts against the rules. but stopped when challenged. The place was kept after a hearing decided no penalty was needed because no changes were actually made. It was Hadjar’s first podium finish since joining Red Bull.
Behind the front three, George Russell’s weekend again slipped through the points. His Monaco result was shaped by a penalty that meant he dropped out of the top 10 for the second straight race. That came after an engine failure while battling Antonelli for the lead in last month’s Canadian Grand Prix. Russell had said Thursday the title was Antonelli’s “to lose. ” but on Sunday the gap grew again in the standings.
Max Verstappen, who started second for Red Bull, lost power at the start and dropped to the back before retiring at the end of the first lap. Four-time champion Verstappen — a Monaco resident — suggested he’d watch the rest of the race from home.
Hamilton’s second-place finish was also a personal statement after a difficult stretch with Ferrari-linked change at his new Mercedes home. Hamilton paid tribute to Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur for his role in turning around Hamilton and the team’s fortunes. saying. “Fred has been awesome in supporting me. I think last year was really tough for both of us. ” and adding he was “seeing the fruits” of changes Vasseur implemented. Hamilton wasn’t on the podium in any Grand Prix in all of 2025 in his first year with the team.
Vasseur was back at the track with Ferrari on Sunday after he missed Saturday’s qualifying session. Ferrari said he had been under observation at a medical facility, without providing further details of his condition.
Not every headline on Sunday was about speed. The restart itself rewrote opportunities. New team Cadillac could have taken its first F1 point when Sergio Perez crossed the line 10th. but it was taken away after Perez lost it for a false start at the restart. That promoted Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso up to 10th for his team’s first point of the year. which began with severe reliability problems.
Even after the race, the tension kept spilling out. Alpine said it was challenging the spate of penalties issued for pit lane speeding, including one that cost Gasly third. Those disputes are expected to take time under the “right of review” system, under which decisions typically take days.
Russell, meanwhile, had his own question hanging over him. He had been second in the standings before the race, a position that is now Hamilton’s. Russell crossed the line 13th and was later upgraded to 12th after a hefty penalty for failing to serve an earlier penalty properly. He said he didn’t understand what happened.
By the time everything settled. the picture was clear enough for Antonelli to keep pulling the season toward himself — even in Monaco. even with the red flag chaos. even with the barriers doing what they always do on this track. For Hamilton, second was another reminder that the chase won’t slow down for long.
Kimi Antonelli Monaco Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton George Russell Isack Hadjar Max Verstappen Charles Leclerc FIA Red Bull Mercedes Alpine Fernando Alonso Sergio Perez