Thursday, June 4, 2026 — Arrival & Opening
All Day
Teams Arrive & Motorhomes Open
Unlike standard F1 weekends that begin on Friday, Monaco receives teams on Thursday — a longstanding tradition that gives the paddock an extra day to set up in the compact harbour area. The pit lane opens and teams begin initial car preparation
Afternoon
FIA Technical Checks & Circuit Inspection
Stewards and circuit officials formally inspect the barriers, run-off areas, and track surface. The superyachts begin filling Port Hercules — the harbour inside the circuit layout that doubles as one of the world's most exclusive viewing venues
Friday, June 5, 2026 — Free Practice
11:30 CEST
05:30 ET / 10:30 BST
Free Practice 1 — FP1 (60 minutes)
The first time an F1 car has run at Monaco in 2026. Engineers collect baseline data on
tire behavior, braking points, and car balance. Drivers relearn the circuit feel after
months away. Monaco's unusual surface — laid fresh for the event, using the same
material as the public roads — means the circuit can be slippery early and gains grip
dramatically as rubber goes down over the weekend
15:00 CEST
09:00 ET / 14:00 BST
Free Practice 2 — FP2 (60 minutes)
The critical data-gathering session. Teams run long-run simulations to model tire degradation
over a race stint, test different compounds, and finalise pit stop windows. Strategists at
each team will spend the night after FP2 running scenarios for Sunday's race — Monaco's
inability to overtake means strategy calls and the Safety Car are the primary levers of
race outcome
Saturday, June 6, 2026 — Qualifying Day
12:30 CEST
06:30 ET / 11:30 BST
Free Practice 3 — FP3 (60 minutes)
Last chance to refine the setup before qualifying locks in the grid. Engineers make final
adjustments to ride height, wing angles, and brake bias. Drivers work specifically on
their qualifying laps — building confidence through each sector, knowing that a single
error in Q3 can drop them from pole to the barrier
16:00 CEST
10:00 ET / 15:00 BST
⚡ Qualifying — Q1, Q2 & Q3 (~1 hour)
Q1 (18 min): All 20 drivers run. Bottom 5 eliminated — they start from P16 to P20.
Q2 (15 min): Remaining 15 run. Bottom 5 eliminated — P11 to P15. Teams must choose the tire they start the race on.
Q3 (12 min): Top 10 battle for pole position — the most important 12 minutes at any circuit in the world, but especially at Monaco where pole so often delivers the win
Sunday, June 7, 2026 — Race Day
~13:30 CEST
~07:30 ET / 12:30 BST
Pit Lane Open — Final Preparations
Cars leave the garage for the last time before the race. Mechanics complete final checks, tire choices are confirmed, and weather forecasts are scrutinised — Monaco's narrow streets make wet conditions particularly consequential
~14:30 CEST
~08:30 ET / 13:30 BST
Formation Lap Preparation & Grid Ceremony
Cars take their grid positions in qualifying order. The pre-race ceremony — a feature unique to Monaco with its royal family presence and deep tradition — precedes the formation lap
15:00 CEST
09:00 ET / 14:00 BST
🏆 2026 MONACO GRAND PRIX — RACE
78 laps · 3.337 km × 78 = ~260 km · approximately 2 hours of racing
Monaco is the only race on the F1 calendar permitted to run below the standard 305 km
minimum distance — a standing exemption granted by the FIA because the circuit's physical
constraints make it impossible to extend the lap count further
~17:00 CEST
Podium Ceremony
The three finishers on the podium are presented before the Royal Box — presided over by the Prince of Monaco. It is one of the most celebrated and photographed podium ceremonies in all of sport
😉 Time Zone Reference
Monaco observes Central European Summer Time (CEST) — UTC+2. Race start at 15:00 CEST equals
09:00 ET (Eastern Time, US) / 14:00 BST (UK) / 06:00 PT (Pacific Time, US) / 23:00 AEST (Sydney, +1 day).
F1 is broadcast globally via the official Formula 1 broadcast partners — check your regional provider
for exact channel and streaming details.
🌠 Monaco and Weather
The Principality of Monaco sits on the Mediterranean coast and normally enjoys warm, dry weather
in early June. However, afternoon thunderstorms can develop rapidly over the surrounding hills
and sweep across the circuit with little warning. A wet Monaco race is an entirely different
spectacle — the lack of run-off means rain dramatically raises the risk of accidents and
triggers Safety Car periods that can completely reshape the outcome. Teams monitor radar
obsessively on race morning.