Monaco Grand Prix 2026 Set for July 5-7 With 2pm Race Start
monaco grand prix 2026 will run from July 5-7, with qualifying set for Saturday at 3pm and the race starting Sunday at 2pm. Sky Sports F1 will show every session live as the event opens Formula 1’s European run and returns to three practice sessions.
Monaco GP weekend schedule
The weekend goes back to the conventional setup after the one-off format changes that have shaped recent editions. Three practice sessions come before qualifying, giving teams a full run-up to a circuit that leaves little room for error over its 2.074-mile layout.
Monaco’s barriers sit close enough to punish even small mistakes, and overtaking remains extremely difficult on the street circuit. The 2026 cars are slightly narrower, which should help, but the track still forces drivers into precision rather than aggression. Temperatures are expected to sit around 28 degrees across the three days, and no rain is forecast for qualifying or race day.
Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren
Charles Leclerc enters the weekend with a strong home-circuit profile after winning in 2024, and Ferrari is expected to suit Monte Carlo because of its lack of straights and tight confines. Lewis Hamilton has not won the Monaco Grand Prix since 2019, while Lando Norris dominated the race last year.
Mercedes arrives with a different storyline after Kimi Antonelli won four races in a row following the Canadian Grand Prix, while George Russell retired there with a power unit issue and trails Antonelli by 43 points in the Drivers' Championship. Red Bull also shape the picture, but their strength on the straights makes Monaco a less natural fit than Ferrari's package.
Monte Carlo and the 2026 field
The race stays at one of four current Formula 1 events that were on the original 1950 calendar, which keeps Monaco in a category of its own even before the cars reach Sainte Devote, the hairpin, the tunnel, Tabac, the swimming pool chicane and Rascasse. For viewers, the practical part is simple: the full weekend is live, the qualifying hour is fixed for Saturday afternoon, and Sunday starts at 2pm.
For Leclerc, that gives Ferrari a clear target on home ground. For everyone else, it is a rare early read on how the slightly narrower 2026 cars handle one of the hardest circuits on the schedule.
