Start time for Monaco Grand Prix is the one phrase every F1 fan types into Google the moment the calendar flips to race week.
Every year, fans across the world clear their Sunday for one race, and 2026 is no different, with the big day falling on June 7.
The Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco turns the streets of Monte Carlo into a temporary racetrack for one weekend only.
The F1 calendar treats this stop as one of its most-watched rounds, and for good reason.
From practice sessions to qualifying sessions, from press conferences to the various support races, the full weekend track schedule keeps fans busy from Thursday morning right through to Sunday evening.
There’s rarely a quiet hour once the paddock opens.
I’ve followed this race for years, and one thing never changes: people always search for the Monaco GP start time days before the lights go out. It’s not just curiosity either.
Getting the timing wrong means missing the first lap of one of the hardest races to overtake on in the entire sport.
The full Monaco schedule covers special events on top of the on-track action.
The official timetable lays out timings for all 78 laps around the tight, 3.337-kilometre circuit known simply as Circuit de Monaco.
Once you know the schedule, the start time for Monaco Grand Prix stops being a mystery.
Planning your Sunday around the race gets a lot easier once the full picture is in front of you.
That’s exactly what this guide sets out to do, session by session, day by day, right down to the exact clock time the lights go out on race Sunday.
Start Time for Monaco Grand Prix: Weekend Schedule and Session Timings
THURSDAY 4 JUNE is when the on-track action quietly begins, even though most fans still have the big race circled for later in the week.
FIA Formula 3 opens the day with a Practice Session timed at 13:25–14:10. Nobody’s chasing the main start time for Monaco Grand Prix yet, but the tone gets set early.
FIA Formula 2 runs its own practice session a little later that same day.
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup rounds off the day with its own session from 16:30–17:15. None of these carry the headline buzz just yet, but they set the tone for the tight streets ahead.
By FRIDAY 5 JUNE, things speed up noticeably.
Local time sees FIA Formula 3 run its Qualifying Session in Group A at 11:05–11:21, then Group B at 11:29–11:45. The FIA F1 Car Presentation takes over from 12:00–13:00, giving fans their first proper look at the grid.
The FORMULA 1 First Practice Session follows from start time for monaco grand prix 13:30–14:30, giving teams their first proper look at Monaco’s unforgiving walls.
Later, FIA Formula 2 Qualifying runs its Group A heat at 15:10–15:26 and Group B at 15:34–15:50. The Teams’ Press Conference takes the media slot from 15:30–16:30.
A FIA Formula 2 Press Conference follows at 16:30–17:00. The FORMULA 1 Second Practice Session then closes the on-track day from 17:00–18:00, with the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Qualifying wrapping things up at 18:45–19:15.
Friday, in short, is a long day for anyone trying to track every session.
SATURDAY 6 JUNE brings the real countdown toward the start time for Monaco Grand Prix. FIA Formula 3 runs its Sprint Race over 23 laps from 10:45–11:30.
The FORMULA 1 Third Practice Session follows at 12:30–13:30, the final chance for teams to fine-tune the car before qualifying.
FIA Formula 2 then holds its own Sprint Race over 30 laps at 14:15–15:05, backed by a Press Conference at 15:30–15:50. Then comes the session everyone waits for.
Qualifying itself runs as the Qualifying Session from 16:00–17:00, followed by the main Formula 1 Press Conference from 17:00–18:00.
Finally, SUNDAY 7 JUNE delivers the answer to that big question: the actual start time for Monaco Grand Prix.
The day opens early with the FIA Formula 3 Feature Race over 27 laps from 07:45–08:35. It’s an early start for anyone watching from outside Europe.
The FIA Formula 2 Feature Race runs 42 laps from 09:25–10:30, with its own Press Conference at 10:55–11:25. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Race covers 17 laps from 11:45–12:20, keeping the grid warm before the main event.
The Drivers’ Parade takes place from start time for monaco grand prix 13:00–13:30, giving fans a first proper glimpse of every driver up close.
The National Anthem plays from 14:44–14:46, and the grid falls silent for a moment before the real business begins.
Then, at last, the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX goes green over 78 laps, running from 15:00–17:00.
The race also carries a time cap of 120 mins, so even a red flag or two won’t push it too far past the advertised window.
Here are the numbers everyone keeps asking about, laid out simply.
Practice 1 runs 11:30–12:30, Practice 2 runs 15:00–16:00, Practice 3 runs 10:30–11:30, Qualifying runs 14:00–15:00, and Race day itself starts at 13:00 by track time.
Keep in mind the Monaco time zone sits ahead of UTC by two hours, so always double-check Local time against your own clock before setting an alarm.
Sessions can also carry a shorter time cap, whether that’s 40 mins, 45 mins, or 60 mins, depending on which category races that day.
Put all these pieces together, and working out the start time for Monaco Grand Prix each day becomes far easier than scrolling through five different sites. One clear table beats a dozen scattered tweets every single time.
Official broadcast guides sometimes label things slightly differently, too.
You might see the FORMULA 1 Qualifying Session listed for a broadcast window of 15:00–15:45, and Friday’s second practice occasionally shown running to 16:30–17:15 rather than the on-track clock.
In short-date format, that reads as 05 Jun for Friday’s action, 06 Jun for Saturday’s qualifying day, and 07 Jun for the big race Sunday. Screenshot that if you need a quick reference before the weekend starts.
Start Time for Monaco Grand Prix: Circuit Info
Knowing the start time for Monaco Grand Prixmatters more once you understand the circuit behind it.
Monaco hosted the First Grand Prix back in 1950, putting the principality on the Formula 1 map and keeping its reputation as one of the toughest tracks on the calendar ever since.
The Circuit Length measures 3.337km, tight by any modern standard.
Drivers cover a full Race Distance of 260.286km across 78 laps of narrow corners with almost no run-off, which is exactly why a small mistake here costs so much more than it would elsewhere.
Lewis Hamilton set the Fastest lap time on record, 1:12.909, back in 2021, a number fans still bring up every year.
It sits right alongside the Number of Laps as one of the stats worth knowing whenever you check the start time for Monaco Grand Prix ahead of race Sunday.
Start Time for Monaco Grand Prix: Race Result
Race day itself threw up a result worth remembering. Kimi Antonelli crossed the line first in a Time of 2:23:31.243, taking his Points total to 25 for the win.
It capped off a strong weekend from the front of the grid.
Lewis Hamilton followed home +6.271s back to bank 18 points, a solid runner-up finish.
Third place belonged to Pierre Gasly, just +20.369s off the pace, worth 15 points on a track where every second counts.
Isack Hadjar finished fourth at +23.394s for 12 points, with Oscar Piastri rounding out the top five at +24.261s for 10. Reading the sheet by Pos. and Driver, the order runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 down the field.
It’s proof that once the start time for Monaco Grand Prix arrives, the story on track can shift in an instant, no matter how the grid looked the day before.
When Was the Circuit de Monaco Built?
Organisers laid out the Circuit de Monaco as a street circuit in 1929, using Monte Carlo’s public roads instead of a purpose-built track. That decision still shapes how tight the racing feels today.
When Was Its First Grand Prix?
Monaco held its first Grand Prix in 1929, then joined the official Formula 1 calendar from 1950 onward. It’s one of the oldest races still running on the current schedule.
What’s the Circuit Like?
The circuit is famously tight, narrow, and unforgiving, running through tunnels and past harbour walls with almost zero room for error. Even a small brake lock-up can end a race here.
Why Go?
Fans go for the glamour, the tight walls, and the chance to catch the start time for Monaco Grand Prix in one of the most beautiful settings in sport. Nowhere else on the calendar mixes racing and spectacle quite the same way.
Where Is the Best Place to Watch?
The best place to watch ranges from trackside grandstands to harbour yachts, each offering a different angle on the same tight streets.
Even a casual view from a balcony above Casino Square beats most other races on TV.
Conclusion
Whatever else changes about the weekend, remembering the start time for Monaco Grand Prix is the one detail that keeps everything else falling into place, from Thursday’s opening practice right through to Sunday’s chequered flag.
FAQs
What is the Monaco Grand Prix start time today?
The Monaco Grand Prix race starts at 15:00 local time on Sunday, June 7.
What is the Monaco Grand Prix start time in the UK?
UK fans can watch the race from 13:00 UK time, two hours behind Monaco.
What is the Monaco Grand Prix start time on Sunday?
The race goes green at 13:00 (13:00–17:00 window) on race Sunday.
When is Monaco Grand Prix qualifying 2026?
Qualifying runs on Saturday, June 6, from 16:00 to 17:00 local time.
What is the Monaco Grand Prix 2026 schedule?
The weekend runs from Thursday, June 4 through Sunday, June 7, covering practice, qualifying, and the race.
