Lando Norris has cast Ferrari in the role of Monaco favourite before a wheel has even turned, boldly predicting the Scuderia will finally break Mercedes' grip on pole position when Formula 1 arrives in Monte Carlo.
After five races dominated by the Brackley squad, with the team locking out every pole position of the season so far, the McLaren driver believes the unique demands of Monaco could trigger a shift in the competitive order.
And if Norris is right, it will be Ferrari leading the charge.
The Briton pointed directly to the SF-26's impressive low-speed performance as the reason he expects either Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton to emerge on top when qualifying concludes around the narrow streets of the Principality.
“I think Monaco again is another track that’s very different,” he said in Montreal. “So you know, I think to really wait and see how we’re going to be in Barcelona is something I’m excited for.
“Monaco was also a track that was decent to us last year. Honestly, I think the Ferrari will be on pole next weekend in Monaco, their low speed performance is far better than everyone else.
“So, I look forward to Monaco, because Monaco, I had good success there last year, and was one of my best weekends, most exciting weekends, but I think in the places we know we’re struggling, it’s not something that gives you confidence to say we’re going to be incredible.”
A vote of confidence
Few circuits have rewarded Ferrari quite like Monaco in recent years.
Leclerc has claimed pole position three times in the last five editions of the race, and the characteristics of the current Ferrari package appear well suited to a track where traction, agility and confidence through slow corners outweigh outright straight-line speed.
Norris' prediction is particularly notable given the current competitive landscape. Mercedes has controlled qualifying throughout the opening phase of the season, but Monaco has often proved to be a challenging hunting ground for the Silver Arrows squad.
In fact, a Mercedes driver has not started from pole in Monte Carlo since Lewis Hamilton in 2019, highlighting just how differently the famous street circuit can behave compared to more conventional venues.
That opens the door not only for Ferrari, but also for McLaren to challenge at the front.
McLaren looking to keep the pressure on
Although Norris believes Ferrari may have the edge over a single lap, he is far from conceding defeat.
McLaren emerged as Mercedes' closest challenger in Montreal, and Norris is eager to ensure that trend continues as the championship battle intensifies.
“You never know, at least it was us giving the fight to Mercedes [in Montreal], so we need to keep that up, keep the pressure on,” he said.
Whether McLaren can do that with the same specification of car remains unclear.
The team introduced updates in Canada, but Norris admitted Monaco's unique layout makes evaluating and exploiting new components far more complicated than at a traditional circuit.
“I think Monaco is still…you never see so many of the upgrades, and it’s hard to exploit them to the same potential,” he explained.
“Difficult to know [if upgrades will stay], we’ve just got to make sure it works properly next time, so it’s not a guarantee we’re going to run in Monaco, but we all will do tests, see if we can make it work better.”
Read also: McLaren unveils special livery for landmark 1000th Grand PrixFor now, the spotlight remains on Ferrari.
As anticipation builds for one of Formula 1's most prestigious weekends, Norris has made his prediction clear: if anyone is ending Mercedes' pole-position monopoly, he expects the red cars to be the ones doing it.
Whether it is Leclerc on home soil or Hamilton chasing another Monaco milestone, Norris believes the road to P1 runs through Ferrari.
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