Max fifth in final practice session in Monaco

Published on 06 June 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

Max Verstappen finished fifth in the third and final free practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix. On the street circuit, Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets ahead of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. The session was briefly interrupted in the closing stages following a crash for Oliver Bearman, after which many drivers were unable to improve their lap times.

It’s 22 degrees Celsius in Monaco when the third practice session in Monaco gets underway, the track temperature reaching 28 degrees. For the drivers, it's the final opportunity to prepare for this afternoon’s qualifying session. Mistakes come at a high price around the narrow street circuit, where one heavy impact with the barriers can jeopardise participation in qualifying. On this track where grid position is often decisive, no one wants to take that risk.

The session gets off to anything but a smooth start for Cadillac. First, Valtteri Bottas reports smoke coming from the front brakes, and a few minutes later Sergio Perez also informs his team of an issue after a small fire breaks out around his front brakes. Notably, the Mexican already experienced a similar problem yesterday. The mechanics appear to solve the issues, allowing both drivers to return to the track later in the session.

Ten minutes into the session, Max heads out on the soft tyres. A 1:14.509 initially places him fourth, behind Russell, Norris and Hamilton. He is unable to hold onto that position for long, as the Dutchman soon returns to the pits. While Max is in the pits, Antonelli, Leclerc and Piastri all set faster times. At the front, Leclerc and Antonelli trade fastest laps.

When Max returns to the track for another run, he sets a 1:13.980 to move into fifth place, eight tenths behind pacesetter Antonelli at that stage. Shortly afterwards, Franco Colapinto brings out a yellow flag after spinning at the hairpin. The Argentine clips the barriers with the rear of the car but is able to continue.

Halfway through the session, the track briefly quietens down. Antonelli, Leclerc, Russell, Piastri and Max occupy the top five positions. Antonelli then makes a significant improvement with a 1:12.720, extending his advantage over Leclerc to more than six tenths. The Monegasque responds with a quick lap of his own, although he still remains three tenths adrift of Antonelli.

Max is on a fast lap himself but is unable to complete it due to a red flag. Oliver Bearman loses control of his Haas at Casino Square and crashes into the barriers. The Brit can’t continue, leaving his team with work to do to prepare the car in time for qualifying. With four minutes remaining, the session resumes.

In the closing stages, almost the entire field attempts one final flying lap, creating heavy traffic on track. Max is unable to improve his time and remains fifth. At the front, Antonelli holds on to the fastest time ahead of Leclerc, Hamilton and Russell.

Results third free practice Monaco: