Ferrari secured a podium finish through Lewis Hamilton at the Canadian Grand Prix and has consolidated its position as the second-strongest team on the current grid — but the gap to Mercedes remains significant, with the German manufacturer holding a clear performance advantage in terms of outright pace.

The numbers back that up. The last four races have all been won by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian who leads the Drivers' Championship and who extended his advantage over teammate George Russell once again in Montreal.

Mercedes is equally dominant in the Constructors' standings, making clear that they are the team to beat in 2026. Catching them will require a substantial step forward from their rivals — none more so than Ferrari, whose two drivers currently sit behind the Silver Arrows in both world championships.

The Maranello outfit may represent the sport's best chance of preventing a season of Mercedes dominance, reminiscent of the Lewis Hamilton era. While Ferrari's 2026 start has been stronger than 2025, the opening races have exposed a gap that still needs to be closed before they can compete on equal footing.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella spoke to AutoMotorUndSport ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix and offered a candid assessment of the competitive landscape for the race weekend. Stella pointed out that the GPS data clearly shows Ferrari performing very strongly through corners.

Something that was already visible in the first sector at Montreal, adding that the ability to handle curbs well would also be crucial in the principality. He acknowledged that Ferrari tends to lose time on straights, but noted that Monaco has very few of them, which plays directly into the Italian team's hands.

Stella agreed with Norris's view that Ferrari should be considered the favorite for pole position in Monte Carlo, also noting that the abundance of heavy braking zones would help drivers keep their batteries charged more easily than on other circuits. Reflecting on McLaren's own situation, Stella noted that the car currently suits slow-speed corners more than medium- and high-speed ones.

He confirmed that Ferrari and Mercedes are both ahead of them in those conditions. That, he suggested, should still put McLaren in a competitive position for Monaco — even if the race is unlikely to go in their favor without a significant swing in form ahead of the European tour of the calendar.