The Formula 1 World Championship is about to take to the streets of the Principality for one of the most iconic and prestigious events of the season which happens to be Charles Leclerc’s home race, the Monaco Grand Prix. Threading its way between the barriers, with its climbs and descents, the most famous street circuit on the calendar is still a truly unique challenge for drivers and teams, where precision, confidence and adaptability usually make the difference rather than outright performance.
Monaco could be a track where the technical characteristics of this new type of Formula 1 car could come to the fore, being shorter, narrower and lighter than their predecessors, more agile when it comes to tighter sections and changes of direction. Precision is more important here than at any other track, so the ability to get up to speed rapidly, getting closer to the barriers with each passing lap, will be even more important than usual.
Qualifying is crucial. For Monaco, qualifying has always been one of the defining moments of the weekend. On a narrow and twisty 3.337kilometre-long circuit, overtaking is still extremely difficult, although the new cars could deliver more changes to the order than in recent years. Nevertheless, track position will still be of vital importance, as will the drivers’ ability to manage traffic and gradually build up speed throughout the sessions.
Strategy and energy management. Following the experiment with a mandatory two-stop race last year, the Monaco Grand Prix returns to its traditional format in 2026, giving teams complete strategic freedom. In a season where energy management plays a far more central role than in the past, the Principality weekend will also provide an interesting test of how teams balance electrical deployment, energy recovery and the use of the new attack modes against the championship’s most famous backdrop. Another point worth mentioning is the absence of Straight Mode (SM) around the entire circuit, meaning Active Aero cannot be activated at any point. As a result, the movable front and rear wings will remain closed throughout the lap.
The programme. Track action gets underway on Friday with the first two free practice sessions (13:30 and 17:00 CEST), followed on Saturday by the third practice session at 12:30 and qualifying at 16:00. The 78 lap, 260.286 kilometre Monaco Grand Prix, the sixth round of the 2026 World Championship, will get under way on Sunday at 15:00.
"Monaco is always a unique weekend and this year it will be particularly interesting with the new generation of cars, which, for the drivers, should feel quite different on this type of circuit. It is a track where qualifying, confidence and execution matter even more than usual, and where every detail can make a difference. For Charles, it is obviously a very special race, in front of his home crowd, while there is always plenty of support for Ferrari from the fans, and we know how much energy he draws from racing in this situation. That aside, our approach does not change: we have to stay focused, build the weekend session by session and make sure we put both drivers in the best possible position to extract the maximum from the car."
Fred Vasseur, Team Principal
