The Monaco Grand Prix was supposed to be a chance for McLaren and VELO to hit back.
After Canada, Ferrari and ZYN had rebuilt a significant advantage in the Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship, but Monaco's unique demands offered an opportunity for the chasing teams to reset the narrative.
Instead, the weekend largely reinforced the same story we've seen develop over the last few races.
Ferrari and ZYN continued to score heavily. McLaren and VELO experienced another mixed weekend. Cadillac and 77 remain stuck on zero points.
Meanwhile, outside the nicotine pouch championship, Kimi Antonelli simply carried on winning.
Antonelli Untouchable Again
The biggest story in Formula 1 continues to be the remarkable form of Mercedes' teenage sensation.
Antonelli arrived in Monaco with four consecutive victories and left with five.
The race was effectively decided at the start when Max Verstappen stalled from the front row and retired almost immediately, allowing Antonelli to establish control from the opening laps.
From there, nobody could touch him.
Lewis Hamilton spent much of the afternoon as the closest challenger but never looked capable of genuinely threatening the Mercedes. Antonelli controlled the pace, managed several interruptions including a Safety Car and a red flag, and ultimately secured another dominant victory.
Five consecutive wins now leave him looking increasingly unstoppable.
For the rest of Formula 1, the championship fight is rapidly becoming a battle for second place.
Hamilton Delivers Again for Ferrari and ZYN
If Canada was Hamilton's strongest Ferrari performance of the season, Monaco was a very close second.
The seven-time World Champion qualified strongly, avoided the chaos that consumed several rivals and brought home another second-place finish behind Antonelli.
Most importantly, he once again outscored every driver in the Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship.
While much of the attention before the race focused on Charles Leclerc's home Grand Prix, it was Hamilton who emerged with the biggest reward.
Two consecutive podium finishes have transformed his championship position.
A few races ago, Leclerc looked firmly in control of the Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship. Now Hamilton has become a genuine threat to his Ferrari team-mate.
For ZYN, having both drivers occupying the top positions remains an enviable position, even if the internal rivalry is becoming increasingly interesting.
Monaco Heartbreak Returns for Leclerc
Monaco and Charles Leclerc remain one of Formula 1's strangest relationships.
After finally breaking his home-race curse previously, there was genuine optimism that Monaco 2026 could become another strong weekend.
For much of the race, that looked possible.
Leclerc was firmly in contention for a podium finish and appeared well placed to score valuable championship points.
Then Monaco struck again when a damaged section of track surface at the Antony Noghes corner triggered one of the most bizarre incidents of the season. Leclerc lost control and crashed heavily enough to retire from the race.
Just like that, a potentially excellent weekend became a complete disaster.
The retirement means Leclerc leaves Monaco without a single point while his team-mate stood on the podium.
In championship terms, that could prove enormously significant.
Piastri Salvages Something for McLaren and VELO
After Canada's nightmare weekend, McLaren simply needed points.
Oscar Piastri delivered them.
While the McLaren never quite had the pace to challenge Hamilton or Antonelli, Piastri stayed out of trouble and quietly produced one of his most mature drives of the season.
Fourth place may not sound spectacular, but after the disaster in Montreal it was exactly what McLaren and VELO required.
Rather than another pointless weekend, the Australian brought home 12 valuable championship points and prevented Ferrari from disappearing completely over the horizon.
The result also strengthens Piastri's position in fourth place within the nicotine pouch standings.
Most importantly, it gives McLaren something positive to build upon heading into Spain.
Another Weekend to Forget for Norris
Unfortunately for McLaren, the good news ended with Piastri.
Lando Norris suffered another miserable weekend.
After retiring from the Canadian Grand Prix due to gearbox issues, Monaco delivered another non-finish.
The details mattered less than the outcome.
No points again
At a stage of the season where Leclerc and Hamilton continue scoring consistently, Norris simply cannot afford consecutive retirements.
Just two races ago he looked like Ferrari's primary challenger.
Now he finds himself slipping further away from the leading pair.
The pace remains there. The talent remains there. But championships are built on points, and Norris is currently leaving too many on the table.
VELO desperately need their lead driver to start converting potential back into results.
Cadillac and 77 Still Searching
For Cadillac and 77, Monaco followed a familiar pattern.
Valtteri Bottas retired early and never had an opportunity to challenge for points.
Sergio Perez briefly looked like he might secure Cadillac's first championship point after finishing tenth on the road, only to lose the position after a post-race penalty.
That means Cadillac leave Monaco exactly where they arrived, pointless.
While Ferrari and McLaren continue accumulating scores, Cadillac remain stuck on the sidelines of the championship.
Monaco often creates opportunities for midfield teams through chaos and attrition.
Even that wasn't enough this time.
The wait for Cadillac's first points continues.
Monaco Points for the Nicotine Pouch Championship
The Monaco scoring drivers were:
- Lewis Hamilton – 2nd – 18 points
- Oscar Piastri – 4th – 12 points
- Charles Leclerc – DNF – 0 points
- Lando Norris – DNF – 0 points
- Valtteri Bottas – DNF – 0 points
Updated Driver Standings After Monaco
After Monaco, the Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship standings become:
- Lewis Hamilton – 90 points
- Charles Leclerc – 75 points
- Oscar Piastri – 60 points
- Lando Norris – 58 points
- Valtteri Bottas – 0 points
The biggest change is right at the top.
Hamilton's podium combined with Leclerc's retirement completely overturns the championship picture. For the first time this season, Hamilton leads the Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship.
Leclerc's Monaco heartbreak has cost him dearly.
Meanwhile, Piastri has caught and snuck past Norris after another difficult afternoon for the McLaren team leader.
Updated Team Standings After Monaco
The team standings now look like this:
- Ferrari / ZYN – 165 points
- McLaren / VELO – 118 points
- Cadillac / 77 – 0 points
Ferrari's lead grows again.
Despite Leclerc's retirement, Hamilton's podium means ZYN still extend their advantage over VELO.
The gap now sits at 47 points.
That is not yet championship-winning territory, but it is becoming increasingly comfortable.
Looking Ahead to Spain
The calendar now moves quickly to Barcelona.
Unlike Monaco, the Spanish Grand Prix provides a much more conventional Formula 1 challenge where aerodynamic efficiency and tyre management matters, while overtaking becomes possible again.
That could work in McLaren's favour as the raw speed that Norris and Piastri have shown throughout the season remains undeniable. What they need now is a clean weekend.
For Ferrari and ZYN, the objective is simpler: keep doing what they've been doing.
Consistent points have built their championship lead and consistent points may ultimately win it.
After Monaco, one thing is clear, Hamilton leads with Ferrari and ZYN remaining firmly in control.
McLaren and VELO are running out of easy opportunities and Cadillac and 77 are still waiting for their season to begin.
