Mercedes emerged as the clear front runner when this F1 season began, having nailed the new regulations and building a car capable of setting it on the path of dominance this campaign, and maybe more.
Key Factors
He eventually crossed the line in 14th place, and now finds himself trailing Antonelli by 68 points. When the lights went out, Antonelli launched into clear air and never looked back. The task became significantly easier when Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, which had qualified within four-hundredths of a second of the Mercedes, retired on the opening lap. Antonelli seized the opportunity with ruthless efficiency. The final laps felt less like a battle for victory and more like a coronation. And as he swept through the streets of the Principality for the final time, Antonelli did more than win the Monaco GP. He etched his name into the history of one of motorsport’s most iconic stages. And then came the final blow. Russell was then hit with a drive-through penalty that had to be served after the late restart when the field was tightly packed together. Any hope of salvaging something from the weekend evaporated there and then. Suzuka qualifying was a gut punch. Retiring from the lead in Montreal was arguably worse. Yet somehow, Monaco may prove the most damaging weekend of all.
Outlook
Moments later, it all unraveled for the 19-year-old when his car stalled and his shot at 18 points vanished. Hamilton outqualified Leclerc after the Monegasque brushed the barriers at Tabac on his final Q3 attempt. What followed was not merely a divergence in results, but in mood, confidence and outlook. As Ferrari’s weekend slipped away, an increasingly technical debate over brake performance began to dominate the conversation. He was building toward this long-awaited victory with runner-up finishes at Canada and Monaco. A stoppage by Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin brought out a virtual safety car, and Ferrari called in Hamilton for his final stop while his rivals couldn’t push the pace, and he emerged in the lead with a fresh set of tires.
He said he had set the “foundation” with Ferrari before he qualified second ahead of Antonelli for the Barcelona race.
