The Monaco GP 2026 chaos: Everything that went wrong in Monte Carlo

Monaco has always been a track that provides very little leeway for overtaking. It is predictable: you get pole, you win the Monaco Grand Prix. Which is exactly what Kimi Antonelli did when he crossed the finish line in first place, taking his 5th consecutive Grand Prix win.

But predictable is not a word that could be used for the rest of the grid during the Monaco GP 2026 chaos. From drivers crashing into barriers to cars just losing power at the very start, this race weekend was filled with action, euphoria, and heartbreak.

Heartbreak for the Home Hero

After qualifying fourth on Saturday, there was a possibility for Charles Leclerc to finish on the podium of his home race. But that ended when the Monégasque driver drove straight into the barrier when he was running in P3, due to what seemed like unreliable brakes. While his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, finished in P2, Leclerc was forced to retire from the race not far from the end.

After finishing P2 last year and being the only Monégasque driver to win on home ground in 2024, it only added to the Monaco GP 2026 chaos when Leclerc retired on lap 66 out of 78.

A race over before it began

The Monaco GP 2026 chaos began for Max Verstappen even before the lights went out. When his car stalled just as he attempted to start his race, his chances at the podium slimmed down drastically. Although, after a moment the 4-time World Champion did manage to get his car off the line, he was then told to retire the car after just 1 lap.

On the other side of the garage, his 21-year-old teammate, Isack Hadjar, celebrated his first podium with the senior Red Bull team.

Unfortunately, it has been a winless season for the Dutch driver, which has not happened in recent years.

A podium that just wasn’t

The race result turned out to be even more unlucky for Pierre Gasly. The Alpine driver, who started in ninth position and crossed the finish line in third, found himself losing out on the podium due to two 5-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane.

After the weekend, Alpine exercised their Right of Review from the FIA, however, the decisions of that investigation have not yet been made public.

Retirements that shaped the race

The Monaco GP 2026 chaos didn’t stop at the podium contenders. Valtteri Bottas became the second to retire in the race due to Cadillac’s ongoing brake issue. The reigning world champion, Lando Norris, also did not finish because of issues with the car, making this his second consecutive retirement. Some problems also caused Haas’s Oliver Bearman to be called back in to retire the car.

In addition to that, Lance Stroll retired his Aston Martin during lap 55 after crashing into the same corner that Charles Leclerc did 11 laps later. Lastly, Carlos Sainz was also forced to end his race after contact with Hülkenberg that led him to collide with Colapinto.

A weekend decided by penalties

Contributing further to the Monaco GP 2026 chaos, 8 out of the 22 drivers were handed penalties, some even more than once, by the stewards, mostly for speeding in the pit lane.

George Russel had already received a penalty for speeding in the pit lane, but when he failed to serve this in the following pit stop, he was furthermore given a drive-through penalty as a result.

A 10-second penalty for causing a collision was given to Nico Hulkenberg for the incident involving Sainz. Hamilton, Colapinto, Piastri, Stroll and Gasly were each penalized for speeding in the pit lane.

Sergio Perez, who already had a drive-through penalty when he lined up in the 16th position, crossed the finish line at P10. This would have earned Cadillac their first point in Formula 1, if it wasn’t for the post-race investigation, where a 10-second penalty was handed to him for being out of position during the restart.

Next stop: Barcelona

The Monaco GP 2026 chaos may be behind us, but its consequences might follow the grid to Spain. The anticipated Grand Prix weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya offers a wider track, better overtaking opportunities, and a race track that rewards consistently good race pace. With sessions from F1, F2, F3, and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup all on the schedule, Barcelona promises to be just as, if not more, eventful as the 2026 Monaco GP.