Jenson Button ‘surprised’ by what he saw on Lewis Hamilton’s steering wheel at the Monaco Grand Prix

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Jenson Button has highlighted the supreme ‘confidence’ that Lewis Hamilton is showing at the Monaco Grand Prix after being surprised by one set-up choice that was displayed on the Ferrari ace’s steering wheel.

The seven-time world champion has been in fine form since arriving at the Principality, leading a one-two for the Scuderia in FP2 after swapping places with teammate Charles Leclerc from FP1.

The Ferrari duo are widely regarded as the favourites for this weekend’s procession around Monaco, with the class-leading aerodynamic package of the SF-26 proving to be a step above what the rest of the grid have brought to the street circuit.

The question is, which driver will end up on top out of Hamilton and Leclerc? The Briton is currently the more in-form driver following his P2 finish last time out in Montreal, but his younger teammate is arguably the best driver on the grid when it comes to Monte Carlo.

• READ MORE: Kimi Antonelli ends Ferrari dominance in Monaco Grand Prix FP3 after Oliver Bearman red flag crash

Jenson Button was ‘surprised’ after seeing Lewis Hamilton’s brake bias settings during FP3

2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button is among those who believe a maiden victory for Hamilton in red could be on the cards this weekend, and was impressed by what he saw from his former McLaren teammate during the third and final Free Practice session of the weekend.

Kimi Antonelli sets the final benchmark in FP3… Can Mercedes spring an upset on Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix? 👀

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He began by highlighting how Hamilton has always preferred his car to be set up in a way that offers more responsiveness on the front end, saying via Sky Sports F1, “That has always been Lewis’s way.

“I think that’s why the previous generation of cars were a little bit more difficult for Lewis. You couldn’t have oversteer in them.

“If you did, you were in the wall, whereas now, you can play around with the rear a little bit more. Slide it around a bit, and that is definitely more Lewis’s style.”

Colleague and fellow pundit Anthony Davidson then pointed out how he saw the Ferrari star amending the brake bias of his SF-26 to quite a challenging balance.

“I’m surprised to see 62% and 63% brake bias to the front axle,” Davidson said. “Usually, the sweet spot in an F1 car is around 58%. That shows just how nervous his car has been.”

Button then responded with, “That is very high, but it also shows how much confidence he’s got in those front brakes. We’ve seen in other cars this year, they’ve had a lot of front locking, haven’t they?

• READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya tips Lewis Hamilton to deal Charles Leclerc ‘big blow’ after new Ferrari contract

“We saw it a lot in practice yesterday, especially with Charles. So I’m also surprised he’s that far forward.”

After securing one-two finishes in both practice sessions on Friday, Ferrari’s star-studded driver duo were usurped by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in the final hour of Free Practice on Saturday afternoon.

The championship leader now threatens the Tifosi’s dream of seeing their heroes on top of the classification following the conclusion of qualifying, as well as the Grand Prix.