Monaco Grand Prix 2026 favorites: Antonelli led the field, then Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc
Kimi Antonelli was the strongest answer to monaco grand prix 2026 who are the favorites because he led the championship, took pole for the Monaco Grand Prix on June 6, 2026, and converted it into a win on June 7. The Race reported that Antonelli narrowly beat Max Verstappen’s Red Bull to pole, while ESPN reported that Antonelli won the Monaco Grand Prix and became the youngest winner in the event’s history. Live championship data from July 9, 2026 shows Antonelli also had five wins and 179 points, which is the cleanest proof that he was the clear No. 1 favorite.
That leaves the rest of the ranking to be argued from Monaco-specific evidence, not general reputation. At a track where qualifying matters more than usual, the order behind Antonelli was Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc.
Why Monaco qualifying mattered so much
The Monaco prediction report from the weekend said the circuit averages 10 overtakes per year over the last decade. That makes track position central to any favorites discussion, because passing opportunities are limited and a strong grid slot can outweigh raw pace.
The same Monaco prediction report said Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fastest in Practice 1 and Practice 2, while Max Verstappen was not far behind aside from Practice 3. That gave all three a real case before qualifying, but it did not change the fact that pole was the best single piece of evidence.
Verstappen stays second because The Race said Antonelli narrowly beat him to pole, and at Monaco a front-row start matters more than championship position. Hamilton stays third because he topped Practice 2 and qualified in the verified top three, while Leclerc stays fourth because he topped Practice 1 but did not match the same qualifying evidence.
Ranked Monaco favorites
| Driver | Monaco evidence from corpus | Qualifying result/evidence | Championship position as of 2026-07-09 | Why they were a favorite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimi Antonelli | ESPN reported he won the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7, 2026, became the youngest winner in Monaco history, and that the victory was his fifth consecutive win of the 2026 season | Took pole for the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, according to The Race’s qualifying report dated June 6, 2026; The Race said he narrowly beat Max Verstappen’s Red Bull to pole | 1st, 179 points, 5 wins | He had the best combination of season form, pole position and race conversion |
| Max Verstappen | The Monaco prediction report said he was close on pace, and The Race said he was the driver Antonelli narrowly beat to pole | Finished second in qualifying; another Monaco qualifying report placed Antonelli, Verstappen and Hamilton as the top three | 7th, 76 points, 0 wins | Monaco’s low-overtake profile kept him in the top tier because a front-row start could matter more than season points |
| Lewis Hamilton | The Monaco prediction report said he was fastest in Practice 2 and part of the leading pace group | A Monaco qualifying report said Antonelli edged out Verstappen and Hamilton to secure pole, and another report placed Hamilton in the top three | 3rd, 147 points, 0 wins | Practice speed and a verified top-three qualifying result kept him firmly in the favorites conversation |
| Charles Leclerc | The Monaco prediction report said he was fastest in Practice 1 and one of the quickest drivers across the weekend | Leclerc was among the top Monaco runners in the pole fight, while the verified top three were Antonelli, Verstappen and Hamilton | 4th, 108 points, 0 wins | Home-track knowledge plus early-session pace made him a real Monaco threat, even without the same qualifying proof |
Season form and pole position gave Antonelli the strongest case, and the race result confirmed it. Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc all had real backing, but each lacked one of the pieces that made Antonelli the standout favorite.
Short standings context
The live championship data from July 9, 2026 shows Antonelli on 179 points and five wins, with George Russell second on 154 and Lewis Hamilton third on 147. Charles Leclerc sits fourth on 108, while Max Verstappen is seventh on 76 with no wins.
| Driver | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Kimi Antonelli | 179 | 5 |
| George Russell | 154 | 0 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 147 | 0 |
| Charles Leclerc | 108 | 0 |
| Max Verstappen | 76 | 0 |
The next confirmed race after Monaco in the live championship block is the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on July 19, 2026.
Closing takeaway
Antonelli was the clear No. 1, with Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc next in line, because he paired championship-leading form with Monaco pole and then turned that edge into victory.