F1 2026 Monaco GP LIVE: Qualifying updates and times as Hamilton eyes first Ferrari pole – UK Times

The green light is on at the end of the pit-lane and we are a go!

18 minutes in this first initial session where we’ll lose the slowest six cars from the rest of qualifying…

Speaking to Sky Sports, the 2009 world champion throws his support behind the championship leader – while Bernie Collins backs Max Verstappen.

We’re just 10 minutes away from the most important qualifying session of the year!

Why is it? Well, we all know it’s nigh-on impossible to overtake around the streets of Monte-Carlo, which makes track position so important.

The favourites? Perhaps marginally Kimi Antonelli after his super quick lap in FP3, but Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will be right up there in the fight.

Mercedes and Ferrari look a step ahead of McLaren and Red Bull, but it could all change in qualifying!

“Monaco is actually going to be one of those races where these cars might be very good. First, we have now lighter cars, which is, I think, a good thing and we can definitely feel that. And for a track like Monaco, I think this has its benefits.

“And I think the electric side is going to be a lot less big in Monaco, just because we’ll be recharging quite a bit with all the corners that there are. So I’m quite excited for Monaco.”

“Monaco, there will be less of the issues that we see in tracks where you are energy starved.

“It should be more normal, and if anything it will be quite a lot of power to drive a Formula 1 car in the streets of Monaco. So, I think different challenges in terms of having to harness so much power for the tyres, for the car itself and for the drivers.

“So, it should be an interesting one.”

It’s the first time that Kardashian has been in the F1 paddock supporting Hamilton, since their relationship first emerged at the start of the year.

Can the Ferrari driver claim pole position in front of his girlfriend?

For the devoted group of Formula 1 fanatics who follow the trials and tribulations of Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque’s irritable echoes over team radio at the last race in Canada were not a new occurrence. In fact, Leclerc’s frustration with his race engineer – and his Ferrari team in general – blew up to such a point that, two years ago, Leclerc swapped man-in-ear Xavi Marcos for Bryan Bozzi. Yet still, the snappy remarks continue.

“Let’s stop speaking until the last lap,” came the plea from Leclerc, after Bozzi informed his driver of teammate Lewis Hamilton’s superior pace. “You tell me the last lap – and anything absolutely critical.” Received and understood, Charlie. In the end, Leclerc finished fourth, 34 seconds behind Hamilton, who recorded his best-ever finish in second.

It may seem intriguing timing, then, when news of Leclerc’s Scuderia contract extension came on Wednesday morning. Fast-forward a fortnight and the malaise in Montreal is seemingly all forgotten and put to bed.

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 131 points

2. George Russell (Mercedes) – 88 points

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 75 points

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 72 points

5. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 58 points

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 48 points

7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 43 points

8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 20 points

9. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 18 points

10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 16 points

“We expected Ferrari to be the guys to beat and clearly they are, Red Bull have also been a surprise.

“We knew this would be our most challenging. I don’t think we nailed it today – definitely Ferrari are the team.

“The trends that we see with Ferrari here every year and street tracks… been there for 10 years. Every car has an inherent DNA, and theirs works on street tracks.”

6. Racing Bulls – 21 points

11. Aston Martin – 0 points