MONACO, June 6 (Reuters) - Championship leader Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in his Mercedes in the third practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix with the fastest lap of the weekend on Saturday.
The 19-year-old Italian clocked one minute 12.720 around the twisting street circuit, eclipsing Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton who dominated Friday's two practice sessions.
Antonelli finished 18th last season in Monaco but this year arrived in the principality leading the championship by 43 points from British team mate George Russell after winning the last four races.
Leclerc was 0.327 seconds slower than Antonelli's best lap on Saturday with Hamilton 0.331 back.
Qualifying takes place later on Saturday, with grid position paramount on an unforgiving circuit on which overtaking is notoriously difficult.
The battle for pole looks like being between the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who was fifth quickest in Friday's final practice.
The session was interrupted after TGR Haas driver Oliver Bearman lost control at Massenet corner and put his car into the barriers, causing significant damage to his rear wing.
"I just totally lost it on the bump ... so sorry," Britain's Bearman said over the team radio.
Reigning world champion and 2025 Monaco winner Lando Norris managed to get some track time after his Mclaren suffered an electrical failure in Friday's second session.
He was ninth fastest.
McLaren carried out extensive work overnight, breaking the curfew, to replace the wiring harness and battery housing.
A statement from race organisers confirmed that McLaren would face no action as it was the first of their four individual (curfew) exceptions for the 2026 season.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
