The Monaco GP Watchlist

Get the inside track with five things you need to know as we prepare to race in Monte Carlo

Published

03 JUN 2026

Est. reading time

3 min

Atlassian Williams F1 Team is in Monaco for the sixth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Taking place on the picturesque French Riviera in Monte Carlo, this race is considered by many to be the ‘Crown Jewel’ of the F1 calendar due to its storied history.

The iconic Circuit de Monaco is known for its tight corners, leaving drivers millimetres away from potential race-ending barriers and with little room for overtaking.

Here are five things to look out for in Monte Carlo.

Pivotal Saturday

Qualifying in Monaco plays a bigger role than at almost any other race on the Formula 1 calendar.

Due to the circuit’s narrow layout and limited overtaking opportunities, Saturday is more important than ever in securing a strong starting position on the grid.

This creates plenty of drama during qualifying, as teams meticulously plan to give their drivers the cleanest possible runs at exactly the right moment to set a competitive benchmark.

Still, ensuring a place in and around the points can prove decisive, so make sure to tune into the session and follow all the action on our Live Feed.

Close to home

For many, Monaco is a particularly special place to race – and even more so for Alex and Carlos.

Both our drivers call the Principality home, meaning they have a very short commute to work this weekend.

For the first time this season, they will sleep in their own beds before race day – a rare occurrence in the world of Formula 1.

Carlos kindly took us for a walk around Monaco, and you can catch up with the latest video below.

WATCH: Carlos' Monaco Tour

Safety Car possibility

This twisty, tight circuit always brings the prospect of a Safety Car looming over drivers on race day.

Monaco holds the record for the fewest finishers in the modern F1 era, with just four cars taking the chequered flag in 1996.

Across the last 10 visits to Monaco, either the Virtual Safety Car or full Safety Car has appeared in eight races, with wet weather often playing a role.

While we haven’t had a truly wet Grand Prix across the opening five rounds of the season, cooler conditions in Europe following a recent heatwave could mean rain features this weekend.

Even if the sun stays out, the tiny margin for error around Monaco could still see Bernd Mayländer take to the track during the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.

Nowhere else on the calendar has this kind of backdrop...

Carlos’ Monaco streak

Carlos is in some esteemed company when it comes to his record around the Circuit de Monaco, with just six drivers having scored points 10 or more times on the streets of the Principality.

Joining CS55 on that list are Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.

However, out of all six, Carlos is the only driver to have scored points in each of his first 10 Formula 1 Grands Prix in Monaco.

No SLM

As the shortest circuit on the calendar, it may come as no surprise that this weekend will be the first without any Straight Line Mode sections.

That means we won’t see active aerodynamics in action around Monaco’s narrow streets. It’s hardly surprising given the track’s longest straight is less than 500 metres long – and even calling it a straight may be generous considering the noticeable curve.

Discover the full weekend forecast here.

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3 JUN 2026

The Monaco GP Watchlist

Get the inside track with five things you need to know as we prepare to race in Monte Carlo

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