MONACO, June 6 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton believes he can still top the podium for the first time for Ferrari despite missing out on the front row of the grid for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.
The Briton and Monegasque team mate Charles Leclerc dominated Friday's practice sessions with Ferrari tipped to break Mercedes' vice-like grip of the season.
In a thrilling qualifying battle on Saturday, Hamilton topped the time sheets in the final minutes of Q3 only for first Red Bull's Max Verstappen and then championship leader Kimi Antonelli to relegate him to the second row.
Hamilton finished just over two tenths of a second slower with team mate Leclerc fourth fastest.
With overtaking notoriously difficult on the narrow and unforgiving Monaco street circuit, Hamilton knows he will have his work cut out, but he did win in 2016 from third on the grid.
"You know how these races go. It's very, very difficult. I hope we can get a really good start and maybe apply some pressure. I probably need rain. But nothing's impossible," the seven-time world champion said.
"It is a shame that this race is normally a procession, in the sense of following one another. The car is overheating; the brakes are overheating with the way the track is.
"But I'll try to get in there and hassle these two (Antonelli and Verstappen) as much as I can and force them into not making certain corners."
Hamilton's move to Ferrari has so far been underwhelming and he endured a mediocre 2025 campaign.
But the 41-year-old finished second behind Antonelli in Canada in the last race and has out-qualified Leclerc for the second race in succession.
While he was left puzzled by Ferrari's drop-off in performance from practice to qualifying in Monaco, he remained upbeat about his performances.
"It is all about confidence. I felt capable. I am in a really good place with the car, and I am in a good place with the team," Hamilton, who wore a sparkling pink crash helmet and was watched by girlfriend Kim Kardashian, said.
"There was no lacking of pace, and I was really grateful for that. In regards to all of the negative comments that people have made, I keep putting the work in, I keep turning up and I keep delivering."
Leclerc, winner in 2024, looked set to snatch pole with a flying lap in the final seconds of qualifying but ended up hitting the barrier as he pushed too hard.
"It was very much on the edge and I think it was very good lap until then," he said. "I never finished it, so it's a bit needless to say that."
Ferrari have not won a Grand Prix since Carlos Sainz triumphed in Mexico in 2024 but Monaco's slower corners and less reliance on power had been expected to play into their hands.
(Reporting by Martyn HermanEditing by Toby Davis)
