Lewis Hamilton makes Monaco prediction in fresh Ferrari plea

Lewis Hamilton has voiced his belief that Ferrari will have a "really strong" package at the Monaco Grand Prix, given the lack of dependency on power around the streets of Monte Carlo.

The seven-time F1 drivers' champion heads to the Principality off the back of his best result for the Scuderia, after securing second place in Montreal.

With the SF-26 considered one of the top — if not the top — chassis on the grid this season, expectations are high for Hamilton or team-mate Charles Leclerc to clinch a first non-Mercedes-powered victory of the campaign.

That, in conjunction with the car's small turbocharger and innovative exhaust-blown winglet, has led to the likes of Kimi Antonelli to label the Maranello-based squad the "team to beat" in Monaco.

Similarly, Jolyon Palmer has called the upcoming round a "golden chance" for the Prancing Horse to take a first victory since the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix.

Reflecting on his and Ferrari's prospects, Hamilton underlined why there is fanfare surrounding the Italian team heading into the weekend.

"I mean, that's the one track that power is not king," the three-time Monaco Grand Prix winner told media, including RacingNews365. "I think that’s definitely car performance. I think our car could be really strong there.

"I’m really going to focus on making sure I arrive with the same energy as I had this weekend, really study hard with the engineers to make sure we position the car in the right place from Practice 1."

The 41-year-old wants to see Ferrari deliver more oomph to its power unit, something he called for across the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.

That is something the upcoming ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) programme will provide Ferrari the chance to address, which Hamilton is hopeful for.

"If you take away the power deficit, we’re in the fight with these guys," the British driver said. "But unfortunately, that’s not the way it is today, and I think in the moment I’m like, 'I need more power somehow,' because I’m able to hold on or keep up with them through the corners, and I can’t push the pedal any further.

"And you see them just eking out the straight, and you catch them back in the brakes, they eke it out in the straight. It’s really hard. Even when you get the overtake, you get within a second, they still pull away. So that’s how much grunt that they have, and we’re massively down.

"But I really hope with this new rule that enables us to try to improve some performance, so we can get back in the fight with them. But Monaco should be fun."