Lewis Hamilton has hit out following the Monaco GP (Image: Manuel Eletto/Getty Images)
The 2026 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix concluded amid controversy on Sunday after the race result was altered several hours after the chequered flag. Kimi Antonelli claimed his fifth consecutive win for Mercedes from pole position ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. The 19-year-old maintained his remarkable form around the streets of Monte Carlo, negotiating two safety cars and a red flag restart to stretch his championship advantage to 66 points.
Charles Leclerc’s collision with the barriers at Turn 19 triggered the red flag in the final quarter of the race, and from that point, confusion surrounded the final podium position, prompting the FIA stewards to step in during the hours following the race conclusion. Here, Express Sport examines some of the biggest stories from the race in Monaco.
Hamilton demands Monaco GP penalty review
Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton has demanded the FIA reconsider its regulations at the Monaco Grand Prix, following a string of driver penalties for marginally exceeding the pit lane speed limit.
The call comes after Pierre Gasly was robbed of a rare podium finish for Alpine, while George Russell and Oscar Piastri received time penalties for minor infringements in the pit lane, where speeds are restricted to 60km/h.
Hamilton himself admitted he was left stunned to learn he was under investigation for speeding, before ultimately being cleared by the stewards.
“Yeah, I wasn’t speeding, I think it’s just the way the pit lane is,” Hamilton said in Monaco. “I’ve done this pit lane for years, it’s not like I came in and didn’t press the button or something like that.
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Lewis Hamilton finished second in the Monaco Grand Prix (Image: Getty)
“The pit lane limiter is on immediately, and I think it’s just the line that you take, which is the same line we’ve all taken for years, where you come in, you kind of cut part of the white line.
“Head down, went out, and I was shocked to hear that I was speeding, because I wasn’t actually above the speed. I think it’s the distance, and it’s something that we really need to look into, because I heard lots of people got that today, and they probably weren’t really speeding.
“Having to do a stop and wait for five, 10 seconds, whatever people got, it destroys you on a track so short as well, your chances, so I’m thankful that it didn’t impede me too much.”
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F1 star left devastated
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly was stripped of his third-place finish hours after the race had concluded. The Frenchman believed he had secured only his fifth podium finish in F1 after starting seventh on the grid. However, a 10-second time penalty cost him 15 valuable points and a spot on the podium before a sold-out crowd at Monaco.
The FIA stewards investigated Gasly for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane, an infringement for which four other drivers were examined. George Russell, Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton were amongst the others penalised for pit lane violations.
Gasly, who was found guilty of exceeding the 60km/h speed limit by just 0.1km/h and 0.4km/h, insisted he had been “robbed” of a podium finish after the race. Alpine have lodged a right to review the Frenchman’s penalties, meaning the final result could yet change should his sanctions be overturned.
Pierre Gasly was devastated after being stripped of his podium finish (Image: Jayce Illman, Getty Images)
“I know for a fact that what’s in the car is below the 60kph, and I know on both occasions I’ve put it way before the line,” Gasly said. “That’s probably the most simple setting you can put in a Formula 1 car.
“When you have three or four teams that get caught for speeding… hopefully it rings a bell to the guys that they need to check exactly what’s going on because it’s just not right.”
The primary beneficiary of Gasly’s punishment was Red Bull‘s Isack Hadjar, who claimed his first top-three finish for the outfit despite crossing the line in fourth place. Hadjar capitalised on his compatriot’s infringement to leap ahead of him into third.
The 21-year-old was permitted to retain his second career podium despite coming under investigation for a red-flag violation. The stewards examined photographic evidence and consulted both team representatives and the FIA technical delegate.
They concluded that Hadjar’s car remained in the same condition as when it arrived in the pits, as Red Bull had not replaced their spark plugs or coils. His team-mate Max Verstappen fared far worse, however, with the Dutchman forced to retire on the opening lap after his engine stalled on the grid.