“This weekend it's really the pearl of our sport” - Lewis Hamilton talks about ‘special’ feeling racing in Monaco

As Formula 1 heads into the Principality of Monaco, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton spoke about the 'special' feeling of racing on the streets of Monaco. He called the Monaco Grand Prix weekend a 'pearl of the sport'.

Ahead of Formula 1's 81st running at the sovereign city-state, the legendary Mercedes-AMG driver dived into memory lane, sharing his first experience at the iconic race track. Hamilton first attended an event in Monaco when he was 13.

The British driver first drove on the track when he was 19, during his time as a Formula 3 driver. However, it was not a race car, but a scooter that Hamiton had rented during his first time in the microstate on the French Riviera. Riding around, he felt the importance of racing at the heritage race track. Since then, Hamilton wanted to win at Monaco.

The #44 driver said:

"I went up to Eze and it was really epic for me. And then, I got to go on the grid and it was crazy because I had only ever seen Martin Brundle there."

Hamilton added:

"It’s a crazy place, a special place, it's the second smallest country in the world and in this weekend, it’s really the pearl of our sport."

Ever since his first visit to the micro-country, Hamilton dreamt of living there. Now, after becoming one of the most successful racers in the history of the sport, He has fulfilled both his dreams - living in the Principality and winning a Grand Prix there.

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More about Lewis Hamilton's history at the Monaco Grand Prix

After showcasing his skills at Formula 3 and the GP2 Series, Lewis Hamilton joined the McLaren F1 team in 2007 as a rookie. The British driver managed to secure his first win at the Principality of Monaco in 2008, emulating his icon Ayrton Senna. Winning the race in tricky weather conditions, he said:

"No question about it, this has to be the highlight of my career. The last few laps seemed endless, but I just kept thinking, ‘Ayrton won here…"

After his dream run in 2008, Hamilton faced a long winless run of 8 years at Monaco. However, he managed to snatch another victory in 2016 with the Mercedes-AMG F1 team, when Red Bull Racing botched the pitstop of the then-race leader Daniel Ricciardo.

The seven-time world champion added one more win at the iconic race track in 2019. Unlike the previous outings, Hamilton started on pole in 2019, with Max Verstappen close on his heels on P3. He managed to hold back the attacking Red Bull Racing driver lap-by-lap on deteriorating tires, making it one of the most hard-fought and rewarding victories at a street circuit.

Since then, the #44 racer has been struggling to get on top of the podium at Monaco.