Kimi Antonelli etched his name into the record books by becoming the youngest driver ever to win the Monaco Grand Prix, while Lando Norris suffered a second consecutive retirement that dealt a major blow to his championship defense.
At just 19 years and nine months old, Antonelli delivered a commanding performance during the 72nd edition of this prestigious race. The event was suspended on lap 68 due to track repairs, but Antonelli’s lead was enough to surpass Lewis Hamilton’s 16-year-old record. Hamilton first triumphed in Monaco back in 2008 when he was 23, going on to claim his maiden world championship the same year. Now, Antonelli is the clear favorite to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps, especially after securing his fifth consecutive win while teammate George Russell failed to score points in a disappointing day for Mercedes.
By lap 60 of the scheduled 78, Antonelli had built a lead of over 30 seconds, having lapped the field up to third place. His advantage vanished temporarily when Lance Stroll crashed, prompting a safety car period. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, frustrated by a pit stop call for fresh tires after Stroll’s incident, then collided at the Rascasse corner. Track damage from these crashes led to a red flag, pausing the race for 37 minutes as repairs were urgently carried out.
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Following the second standing start, two hours and 15 minutes after the first, Antonelli maintained his composure to fend off Hamilton on the sprint to Saint Devote. This victory extended his winning streak and increased his championship lead to 66 points over Hamilton, and 68 points ahead of fellow Mercedes driver George Russell.
Russell, who began the season with a victory, had a difficult race, finishing 13th after a late drive-through penalty for incorrectly serving an earlier sanction related to speeding in the pit lane. This penalty effectively ended his championship challenge. Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar finished third ahead of Oscar Piastri.
Lando Norris, last season’s Monaco winner, retired on lap 49 due to engine failure, adding to a day of disappointment for British drivers. Max Verstappen’s race ended before it truly began after technical issues prevented him from getting up to speed.
The arrival of American reality star Kim Kardashian shortly before the race caused a stir in the paddock. Kardashian, who is in a relationship with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, is famed from the TV series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. After six of the 22 races this season, Antonelli has proven unstoppable.
Antonelli’s current points tally stands at 156—surpassing what he earned across 24 rounds in his debut season, which was marked by inconsistent performances. Despite initial doubts voiced by 2016 champion Nico Rosberg, Mercedes retained faith in their young talent, and Antonelli is repaying that confidence in style.
Known for struggling on starts earlier this year, Antonelli nailed both standing starts at Monaco, demonstrating remarkable maturity for his age. “It’s been an incredible weekend. The pace came naturally and gave me the confidence to push hard,” Antonelli said. “The job isn’t finished yet—we’ve got a long season to go, and we need to keep raising the bar.”
Hamilton congratulated his former team and the new champion: “I have to congratulate Kimi and Mercedes. They’ve built an incredible car, and Kimi is doing an amazing job. I’m happy to secure another second place, and while I can’t keep up with them just yet, I’ll keep pushing.”
Russell’s once promising season has taken a downturn since his opening victory. His crucial penalty at Monaco has further damaged his championship hopes, highlighting the unforgiving nature of Formula One competition.