Button tips Verstappen and resurgent Mercedes to threaten Ferrari in Monaco qualifying

Jenson Button believes Max Verstappen and a resurgent Mercedes could be the biggest obstacles standing between Ferrari and Monaco Grand Prix pole position, with qualifying at Monte Carlo set for Saturday afternoon.

The 2009 world champion made his assessment after a Friday practice programme that left Ferrari looking strong — Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finishing on top across the two sessions. But Button warned that the margins in Monaco are so fine that the picture can shift dramatically between sessions.

“It’s the best Saturday. It really is. It doesn’t get any better than seeing these cars pushed to the limits by the best drivers in the world, touching barriers. It’s epic!” Button told Sky Sports F1 ahead of the third and final practice session.

Asked specifically who would threaten Ferrari most, Button pointed to Verstappen as an obvious danger, while also flagging Mercedes as a wildcard. “Definitely [Max Verstappen is in the mix]. It’s going to be who gets the lap together around Monaco when you are pushing to the limit — and who puts it in the wall, because that’s also possible.”

He added: “When you’ve got three drivers within a tenth and a half, they are all going to be pushing very hard and someone is definitely going to step over that limit. Mercedes [were] a little bit off the pace but overnight we have seen them improve [before] so they could be in the fight as well.”

Those words carried immediate weight in final practice, where Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli topped the session ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton in second and third. George Russell completed a strong afternoon for the Silver Arrows in fourth, suggesting Button’s overnight-improvement theory may already be playing out.

The session was briefly interrupted by a red flag following a crash involving Oliver Bearman, but resumed without further incident.

With championship leader Antonelli, both Ferrari drivers, Verstappen, and a seemingly revived Mercedes all within striking distance, Monaco qualifying shapes up as one of the most competitive shootouts of the 2025 season.