Norris: I hope we can fight for pole and victory.

      Before the start of the race weekend in Monaco, Lando Norris spoke about McLaren's fighting spirit, although he emphasized that it is better to avoid excessive expectations.

      Lando Norris: "I still have to get in the zone for this weekend. I believe that last year at this stage of the season we were doing somewhat better than we are now. We are probably not at the level we were in 2025, but I think we have an optimistic mindset.

      Still, I hope we can fight for pole and for the win, and the goals we set for ourselves remain the same. Of course, Ferrari and Mercedes are very strong, especially Mercedes, so it’s better to avoid excessive expectations.

      At the same time, we try to prepare for each weekend with the belief that we can achieve success. And we want to maintain that mindset. Although it is very difficult to judge how well the Monaco track suits our car at this point.

      I think this year in Montreal we were closer to pole position than last season, although at that time our car had a speed advantage. And a year ago we won the race in Monaco on a track with comparable characteristics—in that it also has many slow corners and low grip levels.

      We are analyzing all of this and want to gain confidence, although in terms of overall performance this year, we are somewhat worse off. But at the same time, we know how we compare to the cars of other teams, we understand where they are fast and where we are lagging behind.

      Ferrari cars are indeed not the fastest on the straights, but partly because the SF-26 is capable of generating high levels of downforce, it consequently has high drag. You could say they are punishing themselves, but in Monaco, they will have a certain advantage that they will definitely take advantage of this weekend."