Norris sees this team as the benchmark in Monaco: 'I think they will be on pole'

The reigning world champion has endured an up-and-down campaign so far, with a car that has shown clear potential but also suffered from too many retirements. Those setbacks have taken a significant toll on his championship challenge, leaving him well adrift of the fight to defend the title he worked so hard to secure last season against Max Verstappen and his teammate.

In Monaco last year, the Briton produced one of the finest weekends of his career, securing a crucial pole position before making the most of track position on a circuit where overtaking has historically been extremely difficult, ultimately claiming his maiden victory in the Principality.

Speaking to GPblog among others, Norris suggested Ferrari could head into the Monaco Grand Prix as the team to beat, highlighting the Scuderia's strength in low-speed corners as a potentially decisive advantage around the streets of Monte Carlo: “Monaco was a track that was decent to us last year. Honestly, I think the Ferrari will be on pole next weekend in Monaco, so their low-speed performance is far better than everyone else.”

Despite looking forward to returning to a circuit where he enjoyed one of the best weekends of his career last season, the Briton struck a cautious tone regarding McLaren's chances. Norris admitted that some of the team's known weaknesses prevent him from feeling fully confident about their competitiveness, even if Monaco has treated him well in the past.

Despite McLaren arriving in Monaco as one of the benchmark teams on the grid, Andrea Stella has singled out Ferrari as a serious threat heading into the Principality, arguing that the characteristics of the SF-26 could make it particularly effective around the iconic street circuit. The McLaren team principal highlighted Ferrari's strength through cornering sections, noting that performance data throughout the season has consistently shown the Italian team to be among the most competitive cars whenever outright chassis and aerodynamic efficiency are the deciding factors.

Stella also believes Monaco could help mask one of Ferrari's biggest shortcomings. While the Scuderia has often lost ground on circuits that place a premium on straight-line speed, the lack of long flat-out sections around Monte Carlo means that weakness should have a much smaller impact than usual. As a result, Stella shares Norris' assessment that Ferrari will be right in the mix at the front and could even head into qualifying as the team to beat in the battle for pole position.