Lewis Hamilton said he was grateful for a moment of reflection on Thursday morning as he recalled his first visits to Monaco and the realization of his teenage dreams. Speaking ahead of this weekend’s 81st Monaco Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion said he got an impressive sense of the history and majesty of the event he first took part in at the age of 13, when he arrived at the famous port by driving through the tunnel.
“I really felt the place and its history and, as I walked through the tunnel, I remembered Ayrton (Senna) watching that on TV as a child and it felt surreal to think that now I am one of 22 to do this – and that I have been doing this so long ago,” he said.
“It was my dream when I was 13 and I came here for the first time and I thought this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been and I want to live here.”
Hamilton has not only realized that dream, winning the Monaco Grand Prix three times – in 2008, 2016 and 2019 – but also buying an apartment and living in the Mediterranean principality.
“I raced here for the first time when I was 18 or 19,” he added.
“In Formula 3. And it was epic. I had a rented scooter and I was racing around the city and I went to Eze and it was really epic for me. And then, I got on the grid and it was crazy because I had only seen Martin Brundle there.
“It’s a crazy place, a special place, it’s the pearl of our sport and the second smallest country in the world.”
Hamilton’s golden recollection of his early experiences in Monaco may not have coincided with W. Somerset Maugham’s description of the principality as “a sunny place for dark people”, but it was sincere.
The Mercedes driver, who is expected to join Ferrari next year, has not allowed his team’s dwindling form to dampen his driving pleasure and suggested he will savor the action again this weekend.
Now 39, he has a softer outlook on his racing than when he was a vigorous young man.
“We don’t have any updates this weekend,” he said. “The package was distributed over the last two races. We have our biggest downforce package and an evolved wing, but other than that I don’t know where we will be.
“But I’m more excited than I was about the previous two cars. They weren’t as good. This is a real work in progress and it’s much better than last year.”
“There are so many things to consider – how high or low to run, balance, weight distribution, cambers and tows. It’s one thing to practice on the ‘yes’, but it’s only on the track that you discover the problems you may or may not have.
“Hopefully we’ve hit the ground running and not looked back, but that hasn’t been the case over the last two years. But this car is more predictable and it’s enjoyable to drive. It’s not perfect, but we’re going in the right direction.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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