Kimi Antonelli flies to the top in Monaco FP3
Kimi Antonelli stamped his authority on the narrow Monaco streets, putting his Mercedes at the top of the timesheets with a blistering 1m 12.720s lap on soft tyres. It is a massive statement of intent, especially considering he finished more than three tenths ahead of Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari man, struggling with what he described as "horrendous" brakes, simply couldn't find a response before the session ended.
While the Mercedes garage will be delighted with the performance of Antonelli and fourth-placed George Russell, it was a chaotic morning for others. Ollie Bearman’s session ended in a heavy crash at Massenet, leaving his Haas stranded and bringing out a red flag that effectively locked in the results. Earlier, Valtteri Bottas limped his Cadillac back to the pits with smoke pouring from his brakes, a concerning trend for the team following Sergio Perez’s brake fire in the previous session.
Elsewhere, Lando Norris was back on track for McLaren after a frantic overnight repair mission saw the team replace his wiring harness and ESME pack. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto kept his Audi in the mix with an impressive P7, continuing a strong run of form for the squad in the principality. With the cars now heading back to the garages, all eyes turn to the most critical hour of the season: qualifying.
