Qualifying the key in glamorous Monaco as Liam Lawson seeks more Formula 1 momentum
Friday, 5 June 2026
Monaco is the narrowest circuit on the calendar with zero room for error. Passing is so difficult that the 78-lap race quickly becomes a procession, making Saturday qualifying more important than Sunday's race.
Liam Lawson sits 10th in the standings (16 points) ahead of rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad in 14th (5 points). However, Lindblad leads Lawson 3-2 in head-to-head qualifying battles.
The FIA has moved the race back to one mandatory pit stop, eliminating the slow-driving sacrificial lamb multi-stop strategy Lawson used last year.
Monaco, the only place on the Formula 1 calendar where qualifying is generally more entertaining than the grand pix.
It’s the most iconic track in the sport, where luxury superyachts line the circuit in the Port Hercule marina and the glamorous streets are littered with wealth and clues of F1 history.
The one thing missing from the 3.337km street circuit in the Principality of Monaco, which is home to most of the F1 grid, including Liam Lawson, is passing opportunities.
Track position is king on the tight streets of Monte Carlo, where the 78-lap grand prix generally turns into procession-like racing in no time flat. Monaco features slow speed corners and is easily the narrowest circuit on the calendar.
And track position comes from qualifying, making it often more important than Sunday’s (Monday NZT) race.
Even with the slightly shorter, narrower and lighter cars under the new 2026 regulations, those changes won’t make passing much easier, if at all.
Why qualifying is so important in Monaco
Alpine's racing director Dave Greenwood, a veteran of the F1 paddock, says most teams spend all three practice sessions almost exclusively chasing qualifying pace rather than targeting race pace.
“It isn’t impossible to overtake in Monaco, it’s just very, very difficult,” Greenwood told Formula1.com.
“Track position is key in Monaco, and that’s why we put a huge emphasis on qualifying, with all of our running before the race primarily targeted at qualifying,” Greenwood said.
That’s why the limits are pushed so hard in qualifying, with drivers often having their tyres brush the barriers as they use every inch of track available.
Racing at Monaco is unlike anywhere else on the calendar, Lawson said.
“The track is incredibly unique, with no room for error and a lot of very slow-speed corners that really test the car and us as drivers,” Lawson said.
“Monaco presents a completely different challenge, so it's important that we maximise every session and build confidence quickly,” he said.
Traffic is always a key issue during qualifying in Monaco, but with the arrival of Cadillac putting two extra cars out on track, that will likely be further exaggerated.
Why Lawson needs to out perform teammate Arvid Lindblad in qualifying
Lawson currently sits 10th in the driver's standings with 16 points and has racked them up in two fewer races than this time last year following the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The 24-year-old Kiwi sits well clear of his rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad, who has just five points in 14th.
But importantly, heading into Monaco, the teenage Brit leads three to two in their head-to-head qualifying battle.
The proof is in the pudding in terms of points, but there have been mitigating circumstances, such as the Canadian Prix, when Lindblad outqualified Lawson but couldn’t start the race due to a clutch issue.
Lawson’s history in Monaco
The streets of Monaco proved a happy hunting ground for Lawson in his first attempt at the iconic circuit in an F1 car. His eighth place last year was, at the time, a career best finish and his first points of the season following his horror beginning at Red Bull and subsequent demotion back to Racing Bulls.
That came after qualifying in ninth.
Besides the new regulations, what’s different in 2026?
During last year’s race, Lawson purposely drove slowly in a sacrificial lamb style to allow his then teammate Isack Hadjar, who was four places ahead, to complete his two mandatory stops without losing a position.
That won’t be an option in 2026, with the FIA moving the race back to one mandatory stop after Racing Bulls exploited the change.
Last year, DRS was available, but in 2026, its replacement, active aero, won’t be available at Monaco due to the unforgiving nature of the circuit.
Will the Mercedes dominance continue?
Mercedes have won all five grand prix this season with teenager and world championship leader Kimi Antonelli claiming the last four on the trot.
However, much of that dominance is said to have come on the back of exploiting a loophole with its power unit compression ratio. The FIA has made a rule change from June 1, meaning that the advantage could now be gone, but nobody really knows just how much of a change it will make.
Another key consideration ahead of Monaco is the fast-starting Ferraris. With track position being key, the blistering starts from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton so far this season, could be a massive boost to their chances if they can qualify near the front. If their speedy beginnings continue, they could be the pair to disrupt the dominance of the Mercedes.
The opening practice for the Monaco Grand Prix begins at 11.30pm on Friday night (NZT).
Free practice two beings at 3am Saturday morning with the third final final session beginning at 10.30pm Saturday night.
Qualifying begins at 2am Sunday morning with the Monaco Grand Prix beginning at 1am on Monday morning.