Lewis Hamilton’s sector times in Canada underline why he has a strong chance of winning the Monaco Grand Prix, Jolyon Palmer says.
Despite winning the last four races, Kimi Antonelli thinks Ferrari are the favourites for Monaco. A power unit deficit has prevented them from competing for victory in the first five rounds, but that won’t necessarily matter on the slowest street circuit of the year.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella noted the strength of Ferrari’s chassis as he agreed with Antonelli’s assessment. Ferrari haven’t won a race since the 2024 Mexico City GP but Hamilton and Charles Leclerc may have their best opportunity yet to end that drought.
The data that shows Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari must be ‘taken seriously’ in Monaco
Hamilton has only scored two podiums for Ferrari so far, but delivered his best performance in red at the Canadian GP as he bagged P2.
Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer pointed out that Hamilton was particularly rapid through the first sector in Montreal, which is very similar to the Monaco layout.
While he lost ground to Antonelli in the power-hungry final sector, featuring the longest straight on the track, less than half the lap in Monaco is spent at full throttle.
“When you look at the sectors from Canada, you get a tell as to who might have good Monaco performance, particularly from the first sector,” said Palmer. “A little bit the second sector as well
“Mercedes were really quick in the final sector. Kimi was a tenth and a half quicker than anyone and George was the second quickest car. They have the best straight-line performance, but that’s not worth a huge amount in Monaco.
“That’s why Ferrari have got to be taken seriously. Lewis, in Sprint qualifying, was the fastest of anyone in the first sector. In actual qualifying, it was neck-and-neck with Kimi up until sector three. That’s where it comes from. There’s evidence.”
In a press conference over the weekend as he received the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy, Antonelli suggested that Mercedes’ chassis had been underestimated amid the resounding praise for their engine. This weekend will be an indicator of whether F1’s dominant team really are reliant on horsepower.
