Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari could have a genuine opportunity to fight for victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, even though the Scuderia continues to face a clear power unit disadvantage compared to Mercedes on conventional circuits.
After delivering one of his strongest performances since joining Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton left the Canadian Grand Prix with renewed optimism. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion secured an impressive second-place finish in Montréal, ending behind championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli but ahead of long-time rival Max Verstappen after a highly competitive race in which Ferrari looked significantly stronger than many had predicted.
While the result offered plenty of encouragement for the Maranello team, the Canadian weekend also once again exposed Ferrari’s most obvious weakness: straight-line performance. Throughout the race, Lewis Hamilton repeatedly highlighted the lack of power available from the SF-26, particularly when attempting to stay in touch with the Mercedes cars on the straights.
That limitation, however, may be far less relevant at Monaco, where engine power traditionally plays a much smaller role compared to mechanical grip, traction, driver confidence and qualifying precision. It is exactly this unique circuit profile that has fuelled Lewis Hamilton’s belief that Ferrari could be firmly in the mix at the front in Monte Carlo.
Speaking after the Canadian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton suggested Monaco could provide Ferrari with one of its best chances so far this season to challenge for victory, particularly if the team can extract the maximum from the car from the opening sessions.
The British driver explained that Monaco is one of the rare circuits where outright engine performance is not the dominant factor, making it a venue where Ferrari’s current weaknesses may be less exposed. His focus, he indicated, would be on working closely with Ferrari’s engineers to ensure the SF-26 is immediately in the right operating window from the first free practice session onward, avoiding the setup struggles that have occasionally compromised weekends this year.
That confidence comes despite the frustrations experienced in Canada, where Ferrari was unable to consistently match Mercedes once the track opened onto the straights. Lewis Hamilton made it clear that Ferrari’s deficit is not in cornering performance, but in acceleration and top-end speed, where the Silver Arrows continue to enjoy a substantial advantage.
According to Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari was able to remain competitive in the braking zones and through the corners, but once the cars entered full-throttle sections, Mercedes could simply pull away. Even when Ferrari managed to close the gap, sustaining pressure or completing an overtake remained extremely difficult because of the superior straight-line performance of the rival package.
This remains Ferrari’s most pressing technical concern heading into the heart of the 2026 Formula 1 season. While circuits like Monaco may temporarily mask that weakness, tracks with longer straights and heavier power demands will continue to expose the SF-26 unless Ferrari finds meaningful gains from its power unit package.
Lewis Hamilton remains hopeful that upcoming regulatory opportunities could help Ferrari reduce that gap. With discussions around ADUO concessions intensifying, the Scuderia could soon gain additional flexibility to improve its engine performance if the FIA ruling falls in its favour.
For now, though, Monaco represents an immediate opportunity. On a circuit where driver skill and car placement matter more than raw horsepower, Lewis Hamilton appears convinced Ferrari can take the fight directly to Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren in the battle for victory.
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