Verstappen is afraid of the Ferraris
Against all odds, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen managed to secure the front row in the Monaco GP Qualifiers. Lewis Hamilton’s and Charles Leclerc’s Ferraris had to settle for the second row.
Read more F1 GP Monaco 2026, Race: Antonelli from pole, Ferrari hopes for chaos. The start at 15:00 – LIVE
In these first races of 2026, Ferrari has always distinguished itself with particularly brilliant starts, thanks to the advantages in this respect guaranteed by the choice to build a smaller turbo, which then, however, pays a price on long straights.
In Monaco, however, there are no long straights. Therefore, the ‘slingshot‘ start represents an important card to play, even if there isn’t much distance to cover until the braking point at Sainte-Devote. The cars are slightly smaller than in recent editions, but it will still not be easy for Hamilton and Leclerc to slalom between Antonelli and Verstappen in the hope of gaining positions when the lights go out.
Max Verstappen, however, is aware that the start will be crucial. Probably, rather than attacking Antonelli – the ‘pressure’ started yesterday in the press conference – he will have to try to contain the red wave. “The start will be critical – Verstappen’s words – the situation could get a bit complicated and I have two cars behind me that start quite well. Many things can happen, the GP is still all to be decided.”
Click here to add Formula Passion as a favorite source on Google Discover: you will find our content more easily!
Read more “With ‘ifs’, the world could be remade”
