FERRARI’S “INHERENT DNA” MAKES THEM TEAM TO BEAT IN MONACO – RUSSELL

George Russell confirmed Ferrari’s status as the team to beat in Monaco after their dominant Friday practice performance. The Scuderia's SF-26s reportedly topped both sessions, proving Russell’s pre-race prediction was no "chat." Mercedes, by contrast, found the challenging street circuit "more challenging than we would have hoped," with Russell finishing fourth behind the Ferrari pair and Max Verstappen.

Russell attributes Ferrari’s exceptional pace to their "inherent DNA," noting their car’s mechanical design particularly thrives on street tracks with unique corner characteristics – a trend he’s seen for a decade. While Mercedes improved from FP1 to FP2, Russell admits they need another significant step overnight to close the gap. If they can’t find it, the fight for Monaco pole and the race win remains Ferrari’s to lose.