The Formula 1 paddock arrived in Monaco expecting a three-way fight between Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen and Ferrari. It left with a very different story.
While Antonelli’s fifth consecutive victory dominated headlines around the world, the way international media interpreted the race varied considerably. In Italy, it was a coronation. In France, attention centred on Isack Hadjar’s breakthrough podium. Germany focused on the chaos and Audi’s struggles, while Spain saw the emergence of Formula 1’s next superstar.
Gazzetta dello Sport: “The new king of Monte Carlo”
Nowhere was Antonelli’s victory celebrated more enthusiastically than in his home country.
Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport immediately crowned the Mercedes driver “the new king of Monte Carlo”, portraying the win as the official arrival of Italy’s next sporting hero.
Rather than focusing on the late-race drama, the Italian newspaper highlighted the maturity with which Antonelli controlled the event from pole position.
“When the visor came down, the young Italian entered a world that belonged entirely to him.”
The paper also pointed to Antonelli’s pre-race comment that he did not need to do anything magical, only make a clean start.
As Verstappen, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Valtteri Bottas and Oliver Bearman all fell by the wayside, Gazzetta ultimately saw only one story.
“In a race full of surprises, there was only one certainty at the front: the coronation of Monaco’s new king.”
Even Lewis Hamilton’s second place for Ferrari received relatively little attention. For Italy, Monaco belonged entirely to Antonelli.
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
L’Equipe and Le Monde: A French success story
French media viewed the race through a very different lens.
While Antonelli’s dominance was acknowledged, coverage largely revolved around Isack Hadjar securing the first Red Bull podium of his career.
L’Equipe summed up the French driver’s afternoon through his own radio-style reaction after the finish:
“My God, why does it always have to be so complicated?”
For the French sports daily, Monaco was primarily a race of survival. Penalties, investigations and reliability concerns shaped the narrative, with Hadjar emerging as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the chaos.
Le Monde took a similar approach, describing Hadjar’s race as an emotional rollercoaster and highlighting the engine concerns he managed throughout the grand prix.
The newspaper also noted a statistic that resonated strongly in France: for the first time since Spa 2018, three French drivers scored points in the same Formula 1 race.
With Hadjar, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon all finishing in the points, the French press found a national success story amid the confusion.
Auto Bild and Sportschau: Antonelli untouchable, Audi still waiting
German media focused largely on contrasts. Auto Bild described Antonelli as “unstoppable” while emphasising the significance of becoming the youngest Monaco winner in Formula 1 history.
The publication also highlighted Verstappen’s early retirement, which removed one of the few drivers seen as capable of challenging the Mercedes driver.
Public broadcaster Sportschau focused more heavily on the race’s chaotic elements: the red flag caused by the deteriorating track surface, George Russell’s controversial penalty and the confusion surrounding stewarding decisions.
The outlet also pointed out one symbolic statistic: Antonelli lapped his own team-mate Russell.
Meanwhile, Audi’s difficult start to life in Formula 1 remained a major talking point. Nico Hulkenberg again missed out on points, leaving the German manufacturer still searching for its first championship score.
Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images
Marca: Antonelli joins Monaco’s legends
Perhaps the strongest praise came from Spain. According to Marca, Antonelli did not merely win the Monaco Grand Prix – he entered the principality’s pantheon of greats.
“The Italian is no longer simply a wonderkind in the fastest car on the grid. He is becoming something much bigger.”
The newspaper argued that the true significance of the victory extended beyond raw pace.
“The Mercedes driver not only won the race; he delivered another psychological blow to all his rivals.”
With Verstappen retiring, Russell struggling, Norris failing to finish and Leclerc crashing out, Antonelli’s mistake-free performance only reinforced that perception.
Marca also devoted considerable attention to the Spanish contingent, praising Fernando Alonso’s weekend despite a disappointing result and noting that Carlos Sainz briefly looked capable of scoring points before his race unravelled.
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
The Guardian: A champion’s drive
The Guardian viewed Monaco as perhaps Antonelli’s most impressive victory yet.
Not because of his speed, which the newspaper considered already well established, but because of how he handled the pressure once the race became increasingly unpredictable.
The British newspaper described the win as a “consummate victory”
Particular attention was paid to the final standing restart following the red flag.
“Antonelli had to weather first the tense final moments of a safety car restart and then the immense pressure of a full standing start after a red flag prompted when the track itself was breaking up at the final corner. “
The Guardian argued that, while Hamilton briefly appeared to have an opportunity into Turn 1, Antonelli never lost control of the situation.
“He held his line, nerve and the place, a lead he maintained to the flag.”
The paper ultimately described the performance as a championship-calibre drive and suggested it may be the first of many Monaco victories.
GE: The 19-year-old veteran
Brazilian media naturally devoted significant attention to Gabriel Bortoleto.
After technical problems before the start forced the Audi driver to begin from the pitlane, points initially looked impossible. Through strategy, attrition and post-race penalties, he eventually climbed to 11th.
Yet even in Brazil much of the focus returned to Antonelli.
GE described the Mercedes driver as a “19-year-old veteran” for the composure he displayed despite safety cars, restarts and relentless pressure from Hamilton.
Photo by: Luca Barsali – NurPhoto – Getty Images
Auto Sport Web: Chaos for everyone else
Perhaps the most interesting perspective came from Japan.
While many European outlets focused on the interruptions and controversy, Auto Sport Web saw Monaco primarily as a demonstration of outright dominance.
According to the Japanese publication, Antonelli was never seriously threatened, even while negotiating traffic.
The site highlighted how he repeatedly built comfortable gaps, placed virtually the entire field a lap down and remained faster than his rivals even on heavily worn tyres.
One particularly telling moment came when Mercedes informed Antonelli over team radio that there was no need to pursue the fastest lap.
Despite that instruction, he continued to lap quicker than the cars behind him.
For Auto Sport Web, Monaco was not fundamentally a story about chaos, penalties or red flags. It was a story about one driver operating on a different level from everyone else.
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