F1 begins the European leg of the season on the streets of the principality at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli arrives in Monaco with a 43-point title lead over teammate, George Russell who is now 13 points clear of third-placed Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton just a further three points behind the Monegasque in fourth.
Monaco however marks the start of the European leg of the campaign for the first time in the race’s history so it remains to be seen whether the pecking order is shaken up if upgrades are brought beyond track-specific developments designed specifically for this circuit.
Now here is a guide to everything that you need to know ahead of 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
Track Guide
Laps: 78
Race Distance: 260.286km
Tyre Selection: C3, C4, C5
Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (BST) |
| Friday 5 June | FP1 | 12:30pm |
| Friday 5 June | FP2 | 4:00pm |
| Saturday 6 June | FP3 | 11:30am |
| Saturday 6 June | Qualifying | 3:00pm |
| Sunday 7 June | Race | 2:00pm |
Six Key Pointers
- Given limited overtaking opportunities around Monaco, this race weekend will be mainly about Qualifying which is likely to determine much of the eventual race order.
- With straight-line speed less of an issue around this high-downforce, there is potential for the pecking order to be shaken up with the track’s low-speed corners tipped to favour Ferrari and McLaren – marking their 1000th GP with a special livery – more than Mercedes.
- Given the potential for safety cars at any moment around Monaco, this race should throw open mixed tyre strategies if some drivers are out of position and run longer in hope of safety car periods.
- With both the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix having been sprint weekends, this race marks the first proper weekend for teams to assess their recent upgrades across three practice sessions.
- There will be no straight mode zones present due to the short straights around Monaco but it isn’t expected to make too much impact on overtaking opportunities.
- Q3 will be extended slightly to 13 minutes but don’t expect it to make too much difference other than more spacing out of drivers for the final runs of the qualifying session.
Last Time Out
Norris led from lights-to-flag in a dominant drive to claim victory on the streets of the principality in 2025.