Because Monaco will be Ferrari’s big opportunity

What makes the Monte Carlo Grand Prix special is the same thing that characterizes it as anachronistic: a track like no other where for one weekend the script can be different from the rest of the season. Ferrari aims to break Mercedes’ dominance, thanks to a car and an engine that are well suited to the Principality. What counts above all will be the preparation, different from any other event, such that the predictions on paper are not always confirmed in reality. Small turbo is an advantage The absence of long straights in Monaco is a source of great relief for Ferrari. In Monte Carlo you travel with the accelerator flat for 30 seconds per lap, against the seasonal average of 50 seconds, limiting the delay that the Maranello power unit suffers compared to the more powerful Mercedes units. Not only does the engine work less, but it also operates in a different range than usual. The average speed of 170 km/h, more than 50 km/h lower than the calendar average, speaks of a track where torque at low revs counts more than power at high speeds. Here then the small turbo becomes a precious weapon for Ferrari, guaranteeing a reactive response of the engine under traction, a quality that will be useful when exiting the narrow hairpins, such as the Loews or the Rascasse.
Even energy management, another area in which Mercedes is the point of reference at the start of the season, will be less relevant than elsewhere. The track’s length of just 3337 meters keeps consumption low, while the many braking stops offer more opportunities than usual to recharge the battery. At Monaco there is more braking than at any other track, around 24% of the time with the cars in ground effect compared to 16% on average in the rest of the year. Finding the right feeling when braking will be crucial, but above all the few problems managing energy and the lesser importance of engine power will limit two great strengths of the Silver Arrows. Photo by Andrej Ivanov / AFP via Getty Images A question of mechanics Charles Leclerc has already invited the Maranello environment to keep their feet on the ground: the Mercedes is not just an engine and has shown that it is also strong in corners. The package of updates brought to Canada has increased the aerodynamic load of the W17, a quality that Ferrari does not lack, as confirmed by the excellent split times in the most driven sector of Montreal. In any case, in Monaco the mechanical qualities count more than the aerodynamic ones, with the cars working in a completely different window than usual. Witness is Ferrari itself, which in 2025 everyone thought would race in defense in Monte Carlo, with a car that suffered from slow corners throughout the season. The Cavallino, on the other hand, came close to the big shot, thanks to the possibility of using a set-up free from the usual aerodynamic constraints. The SF-25 suffered from serious problems managing ground clearance, but in Monaco the team didn’t have to worry too much about stabilizing the surface, finally being able to soften the mechanics and find that rear grip that was missing on traditional tracks. The episode is emblematic of a weekend that requires preparation that is profoundly different from the others, potentially capable of overturning the predictions. This also gives reasons for hope for Ferrari, often able to interpret the unique challenges of the Principality better than anyone else, even in the tormented 2021 and 2025 seasons. Open fight If Canada was one of Lewis Hamilton’s favorite tracks, Monte Carlo is Charles Leclerc’s ideal hunting ground. The home idol stands out among the walls of the Principality, standing out for a very aggressive approach to the Rascasse, where he always decisively cuts the valley at the entrance to turn tighter. It will be interesting to see the internal comparison with Hamilton, looking for confirmation after the excellent performance in Montreal and with the feeling that the new mechanical set-up has strengthened his harmony with the SF-26. On the other hand, Mercedes has everything it takes to score a sixth consecutive victory. In Monte Carlo, however, the Brackley team has not won since 2019 and last year the Silver Arrows suffered greatly from the curbs and bumps of the city’s asphalt. The priority for both Russell and Antonelli will be to stay in front of each other, taking care not to fall into one of the many traps in Monaco, which would cost a very heavy zero. The Principality will also be a great opportunity for McLaren, which in Miami demonstrated its ability to handle slow speeds well, also thanks to the shorter gear ratios compared to the Silver Arrows, which guarantee good traction. However, the competitiveness of Red Bull and Max Verstappen will remain to be discovered, as there are no straights where the excellent top speed of the RB22 can be exploited. Photo by Geoff Robins / AFP via Getty Images All about qualifying The 2026 cars are the tightest in a decade, but overtaking in Monte Carlo will remain almost impossible, which is why qualifying will be crucial to the final verdict. In Monaco the new single-seaters, lighter, softer and more reactive than the previous ones, could give their best, without too many second thoughts about energy management. On the contrary, there will be the problem of limiting top speeds, so much so that The Race reports that the control unit will start cutting electric power from 200 km/h instead of the usual 290 km/h. For the same reason, active aerodynamics will be disabled, while overtaking mode will be present. The key to qualifying will be the tyres, which are always very difficult to get up to temperature on a circuit which, between slow corners and smooth asphalt, doesn’t generate much heat inside them. It is no coincidence that Pirelli offers the softest compounds in the range, C3, C4 and C5, also protagonists in Canada. The difficulty in Monaco is always finding the right compromise between having the tires ready immediately in the first sector and keeping them alive until the last corners, where pole is often achieved. Clive Mason/Getty Images Being fast won’t be enough, but it will also be necessary to make no mistakes in terms of execution. The Principality is known for having a very rapid track evolution, rewarding those who launch last, at the risk of a red flag. Also be careful not to find traffic in the third sector during the preparation lap, which would cause the turbo to lose a lot of pressure, compromising the launch towards Turn 1. In short, for Ferrari and McLaren Monaco represents a great opportunity, but to break Mercedes’ dominance everything will have to be done perfectly. Click here to add as a favorite source on Google Discover: you will find our content more easily!

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-06-02 16:00:00