The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Hamilton looking for his first big win in Monaco

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Thursday, May 24, 2007
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Hamilton looking for his first big win in Monaco

MONTE CARLO: Lewis Hamilton has already made Formula One history. Now he's looking for his first race victory — and Monaco seems like the perfect place to get it.

Record

The 22-year-old British racer comes to this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix as the youngest driver ever to lead the championship. He finished in the top three in his first four races, another record.

Hamilton is now hoping Monaco, where he won the Formula 3 race in 2005 and the GP2 race in 2006, will be equally good to him this year.

``It is one of the tracks I have always dreamed of racing at in Formula 1, particularly having competed there for the past two seasons,'' the McLaren driver said. ``I am going to the race again this year with the intention of fighting for the win, but that is the case at everything I compete in.''

Hamilton comes into the race with 30 points, two ahead of teammate and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who has won the last two races and the last three pole positions, has 27 points.

A pleasant challenge

For Hamilton, Monaco's famous twisting street circuit of 3.34 km poses a pleasant challenge.

``For me it is the best circuit of the year,'' he said. ``There is nowhere like it for getting the adrenaline going, because the track is so tight and there are no run-off areas, you have to be incredibly precise. However, we do have to keep being realistic. This will be my fifth race in Formula 1 and I am still developing.''

Alonso, who won here last year during a string of six victories in the first nine races, also can't wait to be back.

Amazing feeling

``Monaco is another of those races that, at the start of the year, you mark as one that you really want to win,'' Alonso said. ``(Winning last year) was an amazing feeling, one that I will race hard to try and repeat.''

However, Alonso knows that small mistakes can be costly.

``It is very easy for things to go wrong at this track because it is very narrow and the barriers are very close,'' he said.

The racers get to practice on Thursday, with a traditional off-day on Friday. Qualifying is on Saturday, and Sunday's race is 78 laps. — Agencies

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