Samwise F1 Newsletter
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Antonelli Claims Youngest Monaco GP Winner Title With Fifth Consecutive Victory of 2026 Season
Kimi Antonelli claimed his fifth consecutive Formula 1 victory of the 2026 season at the Monaco Grand Prix, surviving a chaotic red-flagged race to become the youngest winner in the event's history at just 19 years old. The Mercedes driver converted pole position to victory after managing a restart situation and multiple safety interventions, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finishing second and Red Bull's Isack Hadjar completing the podium. The result extended Antonelli's Drivers' Championship lead to 66 points over Hamilton. Russell, who was second in the championship before Monaco, dropped to third after finishing 13th following a double penalty.
Sources: motorsport.com
Red Bull Identify Cause of Verstappen's Monaco DNF, Plan Replacement Engine for Barcelona
Red Bull have identified the cause of Max Verstappen's Monaco Grand Prix retirement and will fit a replacement power unit for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Verstappen felt a problem developing during the formation lap before his engine "just dropped dead" on lap one, forcing an immediate retirement from dead last. Team principal Laurent Mekies said: "We have identified what the issue is," adding that the planned engine change will take place ahead of this weekend's Spanish GP. Verstappen sits seventh in the Drivers' Championship on 43 points, as championship leader Kimi Antonelli extended his lead to 156 points with his Monaco victory.
Sources: motorsport.com
Mercedes Take Full Blame After Double-Penalty Disaster Ruins Russell's Monaco Grand Prix
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has taken full responsibility after George Russell received a drive-through penalty at the Monaco Grand Prix due to the team's failure to hold the car in the pits. Russell was initially issued a five-second time penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit by just 0.1km/h. When the car was returned to the track without the penalty being served, stewards escalated the punishment to a drive-through. "Clearly our mistake," Wolff said. Radio transcripts also revealed Russell had urged the team to serve the original five-second penalty at the time it was issued, but Mercedes overruled him. Russell finished 13th.
Sources: motorsport.com
Russell Defiant Despite 68-Point Gap as Coulthard Warns Barcelona Is Last Chance to Save Title Hopes
George Russell insists he "can still become F1 world champion in 2026" despite sitting 68 points behind Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli following a catastrophic Monaco Grand Prix. However, former driver and broadcaster David Coulthard has warned Russell that only a win over Antonelli in Barcelona can preserve his title hopes. "If he doesn't beat Kimi, it's over — no World Championship," Coulthard said on the Up To Speed podcast. Russell has endured bad luck across the season's first six rounds, but with Antonelli winning his fifth consecutive race in Monaco, the pressure on Russell to deliver in Barcelona this weekend is now acute.
Sources: motorsport.com
McLaren Principal Stella Admits Customer Team Status Has Become a Disadvantage in 2026
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has admitted that being a Mercedes power unit customer has become a competitive disadvantage in 2026, the first time this has been the case in the partnership. Norris retired from Monaco with a power unit failure, compounding a gearbox DNF in Canada, and Stella cited fewer opportunities to integrate chassis and engine development as a key factor. "Never before have we felt that being a customer team has put us on the back foot," Stella said, while stressing Mercedes HPP is not to blame. McLaren CEO Zak Brown has indicated the team could consider building its own engine in the longer term.
Sources: motorsport.com
Ferrari Brake Supplier Brembo Disputes Leclerc's Monaco Crash Claims; Driver Switches to Hamilton's Setup
Ferrari's brake supplier Brembo has dismissed Charles Leclerc's suggestion that equipment failure caused his race-ending Monaco Grand Prix crash. Leclerc retired at Turn 19 during the restart, insisting he had "no brakes" as he locked up into the barriers. Brembo said it was "premature to comment" without the full data, and that the company was "astonished" by the claims. Leclerc has since confirmed he will switch to team-mate Lewis Hamilton's preferred brake configuration for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona this weekend, with the change aimed at addressing the braking concerns he raised after Monaco.
Sources: motorsport.com
Hamilton Says Maiden Ferrari Win "Couldn't Be Closer" After Monaco P2 Moves Him Up in Championship
Lewis Hamilton has said his maiden victory for Ferrari "couldn't be closer" after finishing second at the Monaco Grand Prix behind Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton has yet to win a race since joining Ferrari, but his Monaco podium moved him above team-mate George Russell in the Drivers' Championship. Hamilton is now second in the standings with 90 points, 66 behind championship leader Antonelli. In Monaco, Antonelli extended his winning run to five consecutive victories as the 19-year-old converted pole position to victory in a chaotic, red-flag-affected race. Hamilton heads to Barcelona this weekend still searching for his first Ferrari win.
Sources: motorsport.com
Alpine File Right of Review Over Monaco Penalties After Telemetry Shows Gasly Below Speed Limit
Alpine have filed a formal right of review request over the pit lane speed penalties that cost Pierre Gasly a podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. Radio messages from the race reveal that Alpine engineers repeatedly warned Gasly not to exceed the 60km/h pit lane limit, yet the team say their car telemetry shows Gasly was actually running within the limit during the penalty-incurring runs. Alpine are presenting this on-board data as the new evidence required to overturn the decision. Gasly received two separate speed penalties during the race and dropped from third on the road to seventh in the final classified results.
Sources: racefans.net
Drivers' Championship
1. Kimi Antonelli — 156 pts
2. Lewis Hamilton — 90 pts
3. George Russell — 88 pts
4. Charles Leclerc — 75 pts
5. Oscar Piastri — 60 pts
6. Lando Norris — 58 pts
7. Max Verstappen — 43 pts
8. Isack Hadjar — 29 pts
9. Liam Lawson — 26 pts
10. Pierre Gasly — 26 pts
Constructors' Championship
1. Mercedes — 244 pts
2. Ferrari — 165 pts
3. McLaren — 118 pts
4. Red Bull — 72 pts
5. Alpine — 41 pts
6. Racing Bulls — 39 pts
7. Haas — 21 pts
8. Williams — 11 pts
9. Audi — 2 pts
10. Aston Martin — 1 pt
Curated by JD · samwise.agency

Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.