Red Bull aren't buying Mercedes pessimism

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo believes Mercedes' pessimistic Monaco Grand Prix predictions are an attempt at the Silver Arrows to take pressure off themselves. Despite Lewis Hamilton winning the past two races, Mercedes have tipped Red Bull to be favourites in Monte Carlo.

Red Bull's strength in the slower, twisting final sector at the previous race in Barcelona suggests a strength in the similarly narrow streets of this week's event.

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Ferrari secured a front-row lockout and one-two finish in Monaco last year, although Red Bull were the team to beat in 2016, when Ricciardo qualified on pole and looked set for victory until a botched pitstop robbed him and handed the win to Hamilton.

Asked if he expected Red Bull to be strong this week, Ricciardo said: "I think so, but I think they're [Mercedes] also just trying to take a little bit of pressure off them and put it on us.

"Everyone talked about the last sector in Barcelona - for sure we looked pretty handy there... I think we'll be pretty decent. I'd be surprised if we weren't at least close.

"There's no guarantees that we will be the quickest. But I still think, let's say, the DNA of our car is solid, and I do feel it's better than last year's car.

"Last year we weren't quick enough here to fight for the victory, but I'd like to think - I feel we're kind of where we were at in 2016 now, coming into this race.

"We're still probably not the quickest car, but we can be, and if we get it all hooked up, I think we can be pretty good."

Max Verstappen's fifth-place finish last year was the first time he had got to the end of the Monte Carlo showpiece in F1.

Verstappen shrugged off a poor start to 2018 by sealing a podium last time out in Spain and he believes the power-friendly nature of the Circuit de Monaco will play into Red Bull's hands.

"We're still down on horsepower - that you will always see, on every single track," Verstappen said. "Plus they [other teams] have the [qualifying] modes as well.

"It's just better for us [here] - they won't make as big as a difference, which is normally, let's say, four-five tenths, it's maybe two tenths here, and I think we can work with that."