Charles Leclerc is the pick to win the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix after Ferrari made the clearest statement in FP1. Leclerc topped the opening practice session with a 1:13.978, while Lewis Hamilton completed a Ferrari one-two just 0.226 seconds behind. At a normal circuit, that would only be a useful early marker. At Monaco, it matters more.
Monte Carlo is the most qualifying-sensitive race on the Formula 1 calendar, and Ferrari already look comfortable over the bumps, through the slow-speed corners and across the tight final sector. Mercedes still have the strongest car of the season so far, but Monaco reduces the advantage of raw pace. Track position, confidence and one-lap precision are everything, and FP1 suggests Ferrari have arrived with a package that can win.
Ferrari hit the ground running
The Ferrari looked quick the moment it left the garage. Leclerc set the pace with a 1:13.978 and led a Scuderia one-two, with Lewis Hamilton 0.226 seconds back. Max Verstappen was next, but a chunk further away at +0.513. Behind them sat the two Mercedes that have bullied this season into submission, with Championship leader Kimi Antonelli sitting 4th and pre-season favorite George Russell 5th.
That order tells you something. Mercedes have won all five races so far in 2026 and locked out every pole, and Antonelli takes a 43-point lead into the weekend. So seeing two red cars ahead of both Silver Arrows on Friday is a real shift in tone.
Why Ferrari’s FP1 Pace Impacts Monaco Betting Odds
At most circuits I’d tell you to ignore FP1. Fuel loads, run plans, tire choices, all of it muddies the picture. Monaco is the exception. If a car looks settled here from the first lap, especially through the slow stuff, pay attention.
This place isn’t about engine grunt. It’s about balance, traction out of the tight corners and the nerve to commit next to a wall. Ferrari looked more comfortable doing all three than anyone.
And confidence near the barriers is the whole game on Saturday. Two red flags in FP1 made that point for me. Isack Hadjar lost the rear at the Swimming Pool and buried his Red Bull in the wall, then Fernando Alonso clipped the barrier near the Nouvelle Chicane and limped back with a damaged front wing. Get it wrong here and your race ends against the Armco.
Leclerc doesn’t need the fastest race car at Monaco. He needs one perfect lap on Saturday. Right now Ferrari look better placed to give him that.
Hamilton is more than a support act
Don’t skim past Hamilton’s session. Only 0.226 off his teammate, which hands Ferrari a second car near the front and a real strategic weapon. Two cars up there lets them cover undercuts, split strategy and squeeze Mercedes from both sides.
He’s the secondary Ferrari play, and most interesting in the podium market. A seven-time champion who’s won here three times, sitting second on Friday in a car that clearly works? If he qualifies second or third, his podium route is about as clean as they come.
Leclerc stays the better outright bet. Home read, sharper single lap, best early pace. But Hamilton is the lower-risk way into Ferrari’s strong weekend.
The qualifying picture
Leclerc is my pick for pole. Obvious after FP1, maybe, but the reasoning is simple. Monaco rewards the driver who can lean on the car without overdriving it, and that was Leclerc on Friday. He found the limit without forcing it.
Hamilton’s my call for the other front-row spot. When both Ferraris show up early at Monaco, it usually says something about the car rather than the fuel load.
Verstappen is the one most likely to crash the party. Third on Friday, and exactly the type to drag a front row out of a scrappy session if Red Bull find grip overnight. Antonelli and Russell read more like podium contenders than pole threats right now.
Race pick: Leclerc to win
Leclerc is my pick to win.
There’s risk, obviously. One slow stop, one badly timed Safety Car, one twitch in qualifying and it’s gone. He’s also no longer a big price. But this is one of those rare weekends where the favorite can still be the smart bet. If he starts on pole, his win number climbs fast, because passing here barely exists. The race becomes launch, pit timing and not making a mistake.
The whole pick hinges on one question: is Leclerc more likely than not to start on the front row? After FP1, I think yes.
Projected podium
Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli.
Ferrari are the team to beat, but I’m not writing Mercedes off. They’ve been too good all year. Antonelli edges Russell for the final spot, partly on pace and partly because Russell’s weekend already carries baggage after his Montreal DNF. Norris is the outsider I’d respect. He won here last year, it’s McLaren’s 1000th race, and the track comes to them as it rubbers in. Sixth in FP1 just leaves him behind for now.
Best bet
Charles Leclerc to win the Monaco Grand Prix (+125)
Not a huge price, but Monaco is the kind of race where that’s fine. If Ferrari’s Friday pace holds, he’s got a clear path to controlling this from the front.
If you’d rather take less risk, Hamilton to make the podium is the supporting angle. Track history, FP1 pace, a quick car under him. It’s the cleaner route into the same Ferrari story without staking everything on Leclerc converting pole.
Charles Leclerc is the best bet to win the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix. He was fastest in FP1, Ferrari looked strong in low-speed sections, and Monaco’s lack of overtaking makes qualifying pace especially important.
Charles Leclerc is the pole prediction for the Monaco Grand Prix. His FP1 pace, home-track confidence and Ferrari’s early balance make him the strongest qualifying pick.
The projected Monaco Grand Prix podium is Charles Leclerc first, Lewis Hamilton second and Kimi Antonelli third. Ferrari look strongest after FP1, while Antonelli remains the leading Mercedes threat.
Lewis Hamilton can win the Monaco Grand Prix if he qualifies on the front row or gets a favorable strategy break. He was second in FP1 and looks like the best long-shot winner behind Leclerc.
Mercedes can still win in Monaco, especially through Kimi Antonelli. The team has been dominant this season, and Antonelli showed strong pace on a harder compound in FP1, but Ferrari appear to have the better Monaco-specific setup after opening practice.
Max Verstappen is the value outsider for the Monaco Grand Prix. Ferrari look strongest after FP1, but Verstappen was third in opening practice and remains dangerous if Red Bull improve before qualifying or if the race is disrupted by Safety Cars.
