Championship leader Antonelli outpaces Leclerc and Hamilton in Monaco FP3

Kimi Antonelli stamped his authority on Monaco Grand Prix weekend by topping a hectic, red-flagged FP3 on Saturday morning, setting a 1m12.720s to hold a three-tenths advantage over both Ferrari drivers and underline his status as Formula 1 championship leader.

The Italian teenager was the only driver to dip under 1m13s, finishing 0.327s clear of second-placed Charles Leclerc. Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari, was just 0.004s behind his team-mate in third — a reminder of how tight the margins are around the streets of Monte Carlo.

Ferrari had dominated Friday, finishing 1-2 in both practice sessions, and the Italian outfit initially set the pace again in FP3. Leclerc posted a 1m15.184s in the early soft-tyre runs, with Hamilton 0.062s behind, before the seven-time world champion became the first driver through the 1m15s barrier with a 1m14.390s.

McLaren’s Lando Norris briefly disrupted Ferrari’s rhythm by going 0.015s quicker, though his team arrived at FP3 under pressure after being handed a €20,000 fine — €10,000 suspended — on Friday night for breaking track curfew. McLaren had broken the rules to carry out electrical repairs on Norris’s MCL40, which had stopped at Nouvelle Chicane during second practice, making FP3 running especially valuable for the reigning world champion.

George Russell then became the first driver to crack the 1m14s barrier with a 1m13.902s, sparking a rapid exchange of fastest laps between Mercedes and Ferrari. Leclerc responded with a 1m13.748s, Antonelli fired back with a 1m13.374s, and the pair continued to trade blows before a yellow flag for Franco Colapinto’s half-spin at the hairpin briefly interrupted proceedings.

With 19 minutes remaining, Antonelli finally eclipsed Hamilton’s Friday benchmark of 1m13.026s, clocking the session’s definitive 1m12.720s. Ferrari had no answer: Leclerc could only manage a 1m13.047s, and Russell’s efforts for a clean lap were repeatedly hampered by traffic before Oliver Bearman’s crash at Massenet brought out a red flag with 14 minutes to go, ending the session early.

With qualifying at Monaco carrying outsized importance — overtaking on race day remains almost impossible — Antonelli’s FP3 pace will carry significant psychological weight heading into the afternoon.