Antonelli leads after Verstappen retires in Monaco GP: F1 – live updates | Formula One 2026

49/78 Albon isn’t happy. “I don’t get it.” He’s having to drive like an OAP over Snake Pass.

48/78 Norris: “Something’s wrong, I’ve got no battery.” He had been passed already by Russell. Albon sets about his task of blocking, like a tractor down a country lane.

47/78 That’s two successive retirements for Norris. Sainz and Albon are asked to swap places such that Albon does a blocking job to preserve two top-10 places for Williams.

46/78 McLaren give up the ghost as his team tell him power problem will not be fixed, so that’s the fourth driver out. That takes Russell up to sixth, though he also faces another penalty.

45/78 Antonelli sets another fastest lap. He’s untouchable out there, flying along.

44/78 Norris is asked to pick up the pace. Russell is on his tail as they whip past the superyachts on the marina. Russell has been noted for crossing the line at the pit exit. Another five-second penalty? Oh George.

43/78 Colapinto’s five-second penalty is confirmed. He’s 15th. Russell is well aware what McLaren are doing to him. There’s not much he can do about it.

42/78 Norris is dropping back, team orders to keep Russell away from Piastri. This race will always present such challenges, right back to the days of Fangio.

41/78 Russell has had a frustrating race; he’s behind Norris. The McLaren team, including Piastri in fourth, are yet to pit. Colapinto, in the Alpine, is the latest to be investigated for speeding in the pit lane.

40/78 McLaren’s team principal confirms that Norris’ car has “power issues”. It’s not been an auspicious 1000th race for the storied team.

39/78 Russell’s five-second penalty is confirmed. Antonelli was told to slow down after his teammate fell so foul.

38/78 Antonelli pits, and takes 2.3 seconds to change his tyres. He stays in the lead, and now leads by 13.4 seconds. Nothing can go wrong now?

37/78 Hamilton was too quick in going into the pits, rather than leaving it. Russell has been accused of the same offence now, and a similar five-second punishment awaits.

36/78 Norris has been complaining of no power but his team seem to have solved the issue. Hadjar is still having trouble, and telling his Red Bull team he’s having problems.

35/78 So, Antonelli, yet to pit, leads Leclerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Gasly, Norris and Russell.

34/78 Hamilton gets a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. His team accept it, and he will continue on without stopping.

33/78 Franco Colapinto, in the Alpine comes close to crashing. Russell’s pit works, as Hadjar comes in.

32/78 Norris seems to think his McLaren has a problem. His team will check. Russell pits, and will come out in the vicinty of Norris and Gasly, and does so in eighth.

31/78 Bearman has retired, bad news for Haas. That’s three parked up now. Max Verstappen will be in civvies by now.

30/78 Hadjar cut the chicane and that may see a complaint, especially if he does so again. There’s a battle for seventh, where Gasly is holding off Norris.

29/78 Hamilton asked to stop, and on to hard tyres he goes after a very quick pit-stop.

28/78 Russell has a look, and Hadjar cuts him off. Russell complains, asking for the stewards. “He’s got no tyres,” he tells his teams.

27/78 Hadjar sliding all over the track; this has been a brave drive from the French-Algerian.

26/78 Russell and Hadjar get closer and closer, but this time, on a sharp bend, the Red Bull closes down the space. Antonelli has 33 seconds on his teammate and championship rival. He’s also 10 seconds clear of Hamilton.

25/78 Hadjar and Russell’s battle is a reminder of the difficulty of Monaco. There’s still not much traffic behind them. They are losing two seconds a lap by fighting out this battle.

24/78 Antonelli is pulling further clear, and is eight seconds clear. The race is in the palm of his hand.

23/78 Hadjar is game but he’s told there’s “no fix” from his team. “Head down” is the advice.

22/78 Russell is all over the back, and really needs to get ahead of Hadjar to have any chance in the race. These two is where the race is at the moment.

21/78 “Something is going to explode,” says Hadjar, who has dropped 15 seconds behind Leclerc in third.

20/78 “I can’t pull first gear,” howls Hadjar. He sounds panicked, to say the least. Russell is well on his tail but Monaco won’t let him pass.

19/78 Antonelli has opened it back up to 4.4 seconds. Hadjar is complaining about his car to his team; the Red Bulls have not had a happy weekend. Russell waits his turn.

18/78 Russell has been advised by his team to mind his tyres so that he can take advantage of Hadjar’s tyres. Bottas’s Cadillac is parked up, it was overheating. That’s the second retirement.

17/78 Hamilton has been complaining of tyre degradation, as has Hadjar, though Russell closing on the Red Bull has also noticed. Hamilton has closed the gap to 2.8 seconds.

16/78 Verstappen speaks: “The formation lap, it wasn’r going very well. The pre-start was terrible and at the start the engine just dropped dead. It sounded awful. It will be a good test to see if we have stepped forward.”

The latter comment refers to Barcelona, next up. Big week ahead for Team Red Bull.