Antonelli pips Verstappen to Monaco pole

Antonelli pips Verstappen to Monaco poleImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Kimi Antonelli has won the past four grands prix to lead the drivers' championship by 43 points from Mercedes team-mate George RussellByAndrew BensonF1 Correspondent in MonacoPublished6 June 2026, 16:15 BST46 CommentsUpdated 3 minutes agoMercedes' Kimi Antonelli pipped Red Bull's Max Verstappen to pole position in a gripping qualifying session at the Monaco Grand Prix.Pole changed hands three times in the final seconds of qualifying as Antonelli became last man standing, edging Verstappen by just 0.043 seconds to take his fourth pole of the year.Lewis Hamilton took third place as the fastest Ferrari, a place ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, who had been briefly fastest with two minutes to go but crashed on his final lap.And Antonelli's title rival George Russell in the second Mercedes was only sixth, behind Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris could manage only seventh and eighth places.Antonelli keeps raising the bar in the second season of his career and this was as impressive as it has got so far.He and Verstappen were separated by just 0.001secs after their first runs in the final session and Antonelli said he had produced a "magic lap" to beat the Dutchman.Will 2026's 'yo-yo racing' mean overtaking in Monaco?Published3 days agoClassic Monaco Grand Prix images through the yearsPublished5 days agoLeclerc went out early for the final runs after missing his first lap with a lock-up at Mirabeau, and he put himself at the top with his first effort.Verstappen then beat that mark by 0.257secs to take top spot, only for Antonelli to displace him.Leclerc was not finished - he had given himself time to have one final lap as the last driver on track. But he went over the limit and slid wide on the entry to Tabac, crunching his right rear wheel against the wall and breaking his rear suspension.Antonelli said:...