Hamilton Bullish on Ferrari’s Monaco Chances: ‘Power is Not King’

Lewis Hamilton heads to Monaco with genuine optimism after his best result for Ferrari – a second place in Montreal. The seven-time world champion believes Formula 1's most famous street circuit could mask Ferrari's weakness and showcase its greatest strength.

Why it matters:

Monaco is the one track where horsepower takes a back seat. With overtaking nearly impossible and straights short, Ferrari's chassis – widely considered the strongest on the grid – can finally shine. A win here would be the Scuderia's biggest statement of the 2026 season.

The details:

• Hamilton has repeatedly noted Ferrari's power deficit on straights, saying “if you take away the power deficit, we’re in the fight.” In Canada, he matched rivals through corners but lost ground under full throttle.
• The SF-26 consistently impresses in low-speed corners, aided by innovations like the exhaust-blown winglet concept that has drawn attention from rivals.
• Ferrari hopes to benefit from Formula 1’s upcoming Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) programme, which could allow the team to close the engine gap later in the season.

What's next:

• Hamilton is focusing on arriving in Monaco “with the same energy” and working closely with engineers to nail the setup from Practice 1.
• A win would be Ferrari's first non-Mercedes-powered victory of the season – and a crucial morale boost for a team searching for a breakthrough.
• The unique demands of the Principality won't eliminate the power deficit entirely, but they could reduce its impact enough for the SF-26's strengths to prevail.