Charles Leclerc is planning to make his Ferrari supporters proud when the Formula 1 calendar heads to the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, and the Monegasque driver will need some luck when he competes in his home race anew.
Leclerc is off to a decent start this 2026 season, but he is miles adrift at the top of the drivers’ championship. With Kimi Antonelli in rampant form, the young Italian already has 131 points, while no one else has breached the century mark. Leclerc is among the closest to do so at 75 points, making him the third seed behind George Russell (88 points).
Speaking of Russell, the British driver continues to feel the heat, coming off a horrible outcome in the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago, and now is the time for him to bounce back.
Without further ado, here are some of the notable Monaco Grand Prix 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Leclerc inks new deal with Ferrari
Besides going back home, Charles Leclerc is in a buoyant mood this weekend because he has agreed to a new long-term contract with Ferrari. The Monegasque driver recently told reporters that rival teams had made offers regarding his commitment, but they never really tempted him to move elsewhere.
The contract renewal underlines the Scuderia’s belief that Leclerc remains central to their plans. This should give him the motivation on Sunday, as Leclerc is more than eager to win his first race of the 2026 season. So far, he has secured two P3s in Australia and Japan, two P4s in China and Canada, and an eighth-place finish in Miami. Despite his fourth-place finish last time out, Leclerc admitted that the Canadian Grand Prix was the “most difficult weekend” of his career thus far, as he struggled to extract performance out of his SF-26.
Leclerc knows the streets of Monte Carlo better than anyone in the field, but he remains wary about his competition, especially with Mercedes surging and McLaren improving. Remember, before he won his first in 2024, Leclerc had to overcome a relentless string of misfortune in his home race – from mechanical failures to costly tactical errors.
Russell’s Mercedes campaign is spiraling down
George Russell hit a nadir when he didn’t finish in the Canadian Grand Prix last time out. According to Mercedes technical director James Allison, Russell retired on Lap 30 due to a catastrophic battery failure that triggered an abrupt engine kill. When it actually happened, Russell angrily threw his headset onto the live track, and to add salt to the wound, he was slapped with a €5,000 fine for his conduct.
Russell recently reflected on his last race, and he comes to Monaco in a defiant mood. The 28-year-old said that he is now playing with house money, as he has fallen further behind his teammate, Kimi Antonelli.
History
The first Monaco Grand Prix was held in 1929, making it one of the oldest races on the Formula 1 calendar. Believe it or not, only two Monegasque drivers have won the race: Louis Chiron in 1931 and Charles Leclerc in 2024.
Ayrton Senna still holds the record for the most wins on this track with six, including a five-peat from 1989 to 1993. He wasn’t able to compete in the 1994 edition due to his untimely passing in the San Marino Grand Prix (the race before Monaco that year).
Graham Hill, Michael Schumacher, and Alain Prost are behind the Brazilian legend with five, five, and four wins. McLaren are the winningest team on this track with 15 victories. Lewis Hamilton has the most wins among active drivers with three, while Max Verstappen (2021 and 2023) and Fernando Alonso (2006 and 2007) also have two wins.
What are the odds?
The Monaco Grand Prix 2026 odds predict that Charles Leclerc will have an eventful weekend at his home race. The Ferrari star man is priced at 2.35 to win pole position and 2.75 to win the actual race.
Meanwhile, teammate Lewis Hamilton has (surprisingly) the second-highest odds at 4.70 in qualifying and 5.00 on Sunday. With that said, Ferrari are poised to be the winning team at 1.80, while Mercedes (3.10), McLaren (4.00), and Red Bull (8.50) are behind them in the pecking order.
But what’s even more shocking is that Kimi Antonelli only has the joint-third-best odds in qualifying (7.00 – level with Lando Norris and George Russell) and in the actual race (6.00 – level with Russell), despite his recent form. We should probably take this with a grain of salt.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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