Monaco's Charles Leclerc will look to celebrate his new Ferrari deal with a win on home soil this weekend, potentially ending Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli's run of four consecutive victories.
Antonelli, 19, leads the championship by 43 points over teammate George Russell after winning in Montreal. However, Ferrari is considered the team to beat in Monaco, where their car's cornering strength and rapid starts mitigate their power deficit.
Leclerc, a past winner and three-time pole sitter in Monaco, is the betting favorite. Teammate Lewis Hamilton, a three-time Monaco winner, also aims for glory after a strong second-place finish in Canada.
McLaren marks their 1,000th race start, a milestone only Ferrari previously achieved, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen eyes his second Monaco win. The race kicks off a grueling six-race stretch in eight weeks, with lighter, narrower cars promising more dynamic racing.
A mandatory two-pitstop rule from last year has been scrapped, making a one-stop strategy likely.